COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
The COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bulgaria when the country's first cases, a 27-year-old man from Pleven and a 75-year-old woman from Gabrovo, were confirmed on 8 March 2020. Neither of the two had traveled to areas with known coronavirus cases which is maybe because the PCR test that was used is defective. The man tested positive for the virus after being hospitalized for a respiratory infection, and authorities announced plans to test several people who were in contact with the two individuals.[1] Two other samples in Pleven and Gabrovo were positive on 8 March.[2] Patient zero remains unknown.[3]
After the number of patients in the country had reached 23, the Bulgarian Parliament voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency from 13 March until 13 April.[4] A 14-day preventive house quarantine was introduced for citizens who have been in contact with a COVID-19 patient or have returned from an overseas region with a high number of cases. For patients tested positive for the virus a 21-day house quarantine was introduced. This time span is counted from the day a subsequent test comes out negative after they have been treated in a hospital or at home. After the World Health Organization (WHO) has established that COVID-19 is more resilient than the initial data was showing, the National Crisis-management Staff increased the recovery house quarantine by a week to 28 days.[5] With the continuing increase of COVID-19 cases on a daily basis, the Bulgarian government requested on 1 April that Parliament extend the state of emergency by one month until 13 May.[6]
As of 5 February 2023, a total of 4,612,386 vaccine doses have been administered.[7]
Impact[edit]
Bulgaria recorded 31,643 newly registered unemployed for the period between 13 March to 1 April. From these, 17,793 claimants stated that job losses were a direct consequence of the pandemic, and 12,661 registered in the week 23–27 March alone, compared to 4,561 for the same period in 2019.[227] The number of unemployed continued to rise throughout April. According to a statistic released by the Agency of Employment, as of 28 April 2020, there were 291,426 registered unemployed, a rise of 90,405 since the introduction of the national emergency.[228] A survey conducted by the Bulgarian Industrial Association showed that initially only 8% of the companies were willing to use the government stimulus package, which quickly became colloquially known as 'the 60/40 measure'.[229] The proposal envisions the government paying 60% of the impacted businesses' employee wages for up to three months, as long as the companies refrain from lay-offs.[230]
Views of the general public[edit]
A Gallup opinion poll from April 2020 revealed that 77% of the citizens expressed support for the lockdown-related pandemic control measures taken by the authorities in the country.[231] А "Trend" survey between 1 and 5 April 2020 saw 35% demand stronger measures against COVID-19, 39% rating the government policies as sufficiently strict and 23% expressing the opinion that the pandemic controls need to be relaxed.[232] А nation-wide opinion sampling of 1151 adult Bulgarian citizens conducted by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the University of National and World Economy, Bulgarian Sociological Association and the Union of Economists of Bulgaria in mid 2021 showed that the support for a "stay-at-home" order was 60%, with 75% approving of mask mandates and 74% agreeing with bans on public gatherings.[233] According to a Eurobarometer poll conducted between March and April 2021 82% of Bulgarians expressed a wish that the European Union acquires enhanced prerogatives in handling crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.[234]
Assessments[edit]
An April 2022 academic paper characterized Bulgaria as "perhaps the most heavily affected" Eastern European country in terms of excess mortality data, with the late imposition of restrictions on social mobility and the insufficient government control deemed likely to be the major factors behind this statistic.[235] The authors also highlight the generally better health outcomes in major population centers as opposed to more peripheral regions of the country.[235] The high degree of income inequality in Bulgaria has been associated with corruption and lack of institutional trust, contributing to many issues with the country's response to the pandemic.[236]