All passenger vehicles are banned from leaving or entering Sofia as of 00.00 am on April 17, 2020 until further notice. The measure has been introduced with an order by Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Kiril Ananiev at the recommendation of the National Crisis Headquarters and a call from PM Boyko Borissov.

The measure was taken due to the heavy traffic at the exits of Sofia on the eve of Easter holidays despite recommendations by the authorities for limiting contacts and restrictive measures.

What do the new restrictive measures in the capital city envisage?

The additional anti-epidemic measures introduced by the Minister of Health are to prohibit the entry and exit of all vehicles on the territory of Sofia City, except for:

• Trucks providing transport services, as the need for travel is being evidenced by the relevant transport documents;

• Special vehicles, including Regional Health Inspectorate vehicles;

• Automobiles carrying medical workers going to work;

• Cars carrying people in need of medical treatment, with the traveler's declaration indicating the medical facility they are going to;

• Automobiles servicing urgent repair and/or emergency activities: water supply, electricity supply, heat supply to food shops, pharmacies and medical establishments;

• Payment service providers and operators of electronic communications networks;

• Business cars and buses transporting workers to and from their place of work, including servicing strategic sites and activities relevant to national security when required to enter or leave Sofia. The traveler's declaration shall indicate the workplace and the telephone number of the employer.

A time window from 6.00 am until 8.00 am and from 6.00 pm until 8.00 pm is introduced for those who work in Sofia and are travelling by their private cars. Declarations of passengers must include­ workplace address and employer’s phone number.