Sofia, March 14 (BTA) - A second patient diagnosed with COVID-19

died in Bulgaria on Saturday morning, the Health Ministry said.

The 74-year-old man was admitted to Sofia's Pirogov Emergency

Hospital on March 8 together with his 66-year-old wife. Both

tested positive for the coronavirus. The woman succumbed to the

virus on March 10. The man had severe chronic lung problems,

while the woman had a record of heart issues and had undergone

heart surgery.



With ten new cases confirmed on Saturday, the total number of

coronavirus infections in Bulgaria reached 41, including two

deaths.



The amendments to the Health Act and to the Penal Code that

Parliament passed on Friday in connection with the state of

emergency as declared were promulgated in an extraordinary issue

of the State Gazette on Saturday and thus entered into force.

The Penal Code revisions increased the penalties for violating a

regulation against the spread or occurrence of a human

contagious disease to three years' imprisonment and a

1,000-10,000 leva fine of, if the act is committed during an

epidemic, pandemic or a declared state of emergency and loss of

life ensues, to a maximum of five years' imprisonment and a

10,000-50,000 leva fine.



At an extraordinary news briefing on Saturday, Prime Minister

Boyko Borissov unveiled additional measures that the Government

is taking in a bid to contain the infection. The Interior

Ministry and the regional health inspectorates will be empowered

to shut down shops if customers queue up inside. The validity

of personal documents will be extended by six months. In case of

speculation, ceilings may be set on food prices.



Borissov specified some of the infection-containment measures

ordered by the Health Ministry. The grocery stores, bank and

insurance offices and pharmacies at the shopping malls will be

open. Restaurants and fast-food outlets will be limited to

take-away and home-delivery services. Filling stations will

remain in operation. Hotels may function, with food by room

service only. All retail outlets other than those specifically

mentioned in the order can operate, subject to strict sanitary

requirements.



Foreign travel restrictions



A full list of the COVID-19 measures and restrictions in 90

countries is available on the website of the Bulgarian Foreign

Ministry.



As from March 16, Russia's Aeroflot will suspend operations to

Bourgas but will continue to fly to Sofia, the airline said on

its website.



Between March 15 and 25, the Polish Airlines LOT suspend all

their international flights, including those to Sofia and Varna,

the Foreign Ministry said.



Effective 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Romania closed its border

crossings with Bulgaria at Bechet-Oryahovo, Turnu

Magurele-Nikopol, Zimnicea-Svishtov, Lipnita-Kaynardja,

Dobromir-Kroushari and Negru Voda-Kardam to pedestrians and

motor vehicles for 30 days, the Bulgarian Interior Ministry said

in a press release. Truck traffic is heavy in both directions

at the Vidin-Giurgiu Checkpoint on the same border.



As from March 12, Serbia suspended pedestrian and motor-vehicle

traffic through the checkpoints on its border with Bulgaria at

Ribarci-Oltomantsi, Crna Trava-Strezimirovtsi and

Mokranje-Bregovo.



Prosecution service orders urgent measures



The Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office (SCPO) assigned the

heads of the Bulgarian Drug Agency, the National Council on

Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products and the

Commission for Consumer Protection to take urgent measures for

the prevention of the sale of medicinal products at inflated

prices, without marketing authorization and online. The SCPO

assigned the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety

Agency to bring the control authorities' attention to the need

to impose sanctions and coercive administrative measures when

they ascertain violations of the Foods Act and to refer the

relevant cases to the Interior Ministry authorities and the

competent prosecution office.



Lawyers urge for suspension of deadlines



A group of lawyers of the Sofia Bar Association addressed a

proposal to the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers and

Justice Minister Danail Kirilov for a moratorium on deadlines

under procedural and substantive law for the period of the state

of emergency. The lawyers argue that the postponement of the

court hearings open to the public, combined with the limited

access to court buildings and the impeded possibility to search

the records and peruse evidence, to file statements of action,

responses to statements of action, to lodge appeals, responses

to appeals, etc., will jeopardize the rights of all parties to

the cases concerned. NV/LG

Source: Sofia