Sofia, Bulgaria: Around twenty-one members of Bulgaria’s National Assembly will be fined by the Sofia regional health inspectorate for not abiding by the COVID-19 health protocols. All these 21 members were not wearing masks when the regional health inspectorate checked the ‘National Assembly House’ on Thursday, February 3, 2022.    

The regional health inspectorate – RHI, cited that individuals who do not wear masks in indoor places will be fined worth 300 to 1000 leva (about 150 to 500 euro). 

The whole “anti-vaxxer” Vuzrazhdane party will also face the consequences of getting fined, which is a 13 member smallest of the parliamentary groups. Along with them, 5 Members of Parliament (MPs) of GERB-UDF will also be fined for violating the COVID guidelines. Of these, two MPs are from Slavi Trifonov’s ITN party and the other one from the Democratic Bulgaria coalition.  

The RHI furthermore noted that these MPs got the notice to appear at the RHI-Sofia so as to receive their acts of violation. 

In addition, amid the rising rate of the COVID-19 infections, the district operational headquarters of Sofia decided to put in place some stringent, new COVID-19 guidelines. These new measures will come into effect from February 7, 2022, in the Sofia district and will remain for the time duration of 2 weeks. 

Under these new measures, the restaurants in the district will not be able to operate more than 50% seating capacity, visits to the educational centres, art schools, and public events indoors and outdoors (where there will be mass gatherings) are suspended, and the educational institutions will operate in a rotation manner from online to the face-to-face classes.  

Only emergency medical cases will be admitted to the hospital facilities in the Sofia district, as the planned admissions have been suspended by the regional healthcare agency.  

Bulgaria is witnessing a rise in the daily infection count, whereas the vaccination coverage rate of the European nation is very low.