Bulgaria makes masks mandatory over Easter period

The Bulgarian government said Saturday that everyone must wear masks in public until the end of the month to stem the spread of the coronavirus, as infections rise in the largely Orthodox country.

Under a government decree, masks will be mandatory from Sunday until April 26 as the country prepares for the Orthodox Easter celebrations, which are held a week later than in their Catholic and Protestant counterparts.

With such masks in short supply, as elsewhere around the world, people won't be fined if they don't have one, but will nonetheless be required to cover their nose and mouth using some other protection when in public spaces, said Prime Minister Boiko Borisov.

Bulgaria was one of the first European countries to impose a lockdown, on March 13, to tackle the pandemic.

It has registered 661 COVID-19 infections and 28 deaths so far, and the peak of the epidemic is expected towards the end of April,according to the authorities.

© 2020 AFP