Bulgaria: On March 1 Restaurants Reopen but Citizens Should Be Wary of Virus Hazard

On March 1, restaurants and entertainment venues reopen for customers. By order of Bulgaria’s Minster of Health, the dining establishments are required to work at no more than half their seating capacity, with no more than six customers per table. 

Meanwhile, the staff is required to wear face masks. The restaurants are allowed to work until 11.00 pm.

In addition to the basic anti-epidemic measures, including the mandatory wearing of protective equipment by staff and the rule of no more than six people at the same table, some restaurants have also introduced its own innovation to help curb the spread of the disease. Instead of the traditional paper menu passed on  from hand to hand, customers will use a QR code through which they can view on their own phone the specialties offered by the restaurant.

"We set a great store by all anti-epidemic measures - strict hygiene and disinfection of all premises every hour," the manager assures.

According to managers, the long closing period was also an opportunity to repair and refresh the establishment, despite the initial shock of the health authorities decision on lockdown. "We will be happy to welcome our customers again," they said on the first working day after the measures were loosened.

Group tourist trips, weddings, seminars, conferences and christening parties are allowed, using 30% of the premises capacity. Nightclubs, piano bars and night bars remain closed.

“The fact that we are opening restaurants does not mean that everyone should go and get infected," Bulgarian PM Boyko Borissov said. The Prime Minister stressed that he relies on the sense of self-preservation and intelligence of the Bulgarians. 

The month of March will be critical, but in the spring it will be easier, he added.

Boyko Borissov also explained that arrangements were made for the vaccines, which are expected to arrive on Saturday night so they could be distributed in order to continue the vaccination.

"We make a huge effort to transport them as fast as possible," he said.

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