The state of emergency in Bulgaria will not  be extended beyond 13 May, Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov told a briefing on Monday. The briefing, which was given after an extraordinary sitting of the Cabinet, presented to the media details about draft changes to the Health Act and the Act on the Measures and Actions during the State of Emergency that the Government has elaborated. 

Open-air sections of cafes and restaurants as well as swimming pools will reopen, while individual sports activities will also be allowed, the checkpoints controlling intercity travel will be removed on 6 May, and driving schools will resume their work. PM Boyko Borissov announced the easing of restrictive measures during a briefing at the Council of Ministers with the representatives of the National Operative Staff and members of the cabinet.

The authorities lifted on Friday the ban on visits to city parks, gardens, nature parks, mountains and other nature sites. The ban was introduced in mid-March as a measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus. The requirement for wearing facemasks in open public spaces is also lifted.

Wearing face masks or protective face covers like scarfs in public is now mandatory until 13 May included, following a new order issued Thursday by the Minister of Health Kiril Ananiev. The requirement concerns both indoor and outdoor public spaces.

A temporary ban on entry into Bulgaria of persons and vehicles coming from the Republic of Turkey through the border checkpoints Lesovo - Hamzabeyli, Kapitan Andreevo - Kapikule, Malko Tarnovo - Kirklareli, comes into force at midnight on Friday (00.00am), the Health Ministry said Thursday.

Starting Tuesday, 21 April, citizens travelling to or back from work will be able to enter and leave the capital city of Sofia at all times, provided that they present a declaration.

The Bulgarian capital Sofia was sealed off from midnight to contain the spread of the new coronavirus after the number of confirmed cases jumped in the past two days, the health minister said. At a late night briefing Health Minister Kiril Ananiev said travel to and from Sofia will be banned until further notice, and will apply to all cars and intercity buses.

From 12 to 26 April wearing face masks in public places will be mandatory. Violators will be fined BGN 300. The order will be in force for two weeks, until 26 April. The measure was proposed to PM Boyko Borissov by Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, head of the National Crisis Response Centre.

Citizens of third countries have been temporarily banned from entering the territory of Bulgaria through any of the air, sea, railway or road transport border checkpoints, the Ministry of Interior has announced.

Minister of Health Kiril Ananiev issued late on Tuesday an order temporarily banning citizens of 13 Schengen area countries from entering Bulgaria. The ban applies for individuals from Italy, Spain, France, the UK and Northern Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Luxembourg and concerns all border checkpoints for air, sea, railway and road transport. It also applies to individuals originally from third countries.