Bulgaria extends COVID-19 emergency until end of August

The Bulgarian government on Wednesday extended the nationwide epidemic emergency until Aug. 31, the cabinet said in a statement. It is necessary to maintain the decline in the spread of COVID-19 achieved in the country, as well as to prepare the healthcare system to respond to a possible new pandemic wave, the statement noted. The epidemic emergency was initially declared on May 14 last year with a duration of one month, replacing the state of emergency implemented on March 13. It has already been extended several times, with the last extension to the end of July.