Bulgarian PM Borissov tests positive for coronavirus

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Sunday he had tested positive for coronavirus and would stay at home for any treatment for the time being, as recommended by his doctors

Borissov, who met Keith Krach, US undersecretary of state for economic affairs on Friday, has informed the US Embassy in Sofia of the situation, the head of Sofia health inspectorate said.

The government press office said Borissov was able to carry out his duties and was in constant contact with his ministers.

Borissov and three cabinet ministers had self-isolated late on Friday following contact with a deputy minister who had tested positive for Covid-19.

Health authorities lifted Borissov’s quarantine late on Saturday after two negative results from coronavirus tests, but then he tested positive on Sunday.

“Although my quarantine was lifted, since Friday I have postponed all my meetings and planned public appearances for the coming days,” Borissov, 61, said in a posting on his official Facebook account.

“After two PCR tests, as of today I am positive with Covid-19,” he said. “I have a general malaise. For the moment, on the doctors’ discretion, I remain on home treatment.”

It was not immediately clear if he was already receiving a specific treatment.

Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said on Facebook he was self-isolating because he met Borissov on Friday.

Bulgaria, like many other European Union countries, is seeing a steep rise in new infections over the past three weeks. There were 1,043 new infections reported on Sunday in the country of 7 million people, bringing the total to 37,562, including 1,084 deaths.

Bulgaria’s capital Sofia and other cities across the country have closed nightclubs for two weeks in an attempt to contain the spread of the infection.