Sharjah24 – AFP: Several hundred Bulgarian restaurant workers rallied in downtown Sofia on Wednesday, denouncing a new curfew designed to counter the latest coronavirus wave blighting Europe's least vaccinated nation.
Just under 19 percent of Bulgaria's population of 6.9 million have received at least one jab and the country has one of the highest Covid-19 death rates in Europe.
The government has refrained from imposing a strict lockdown, but on Tuesday imposed an 11 p.m. curfew for restaurants and cafes, and ordered reduced capacity at cinemas, theatres, concert venues and fitness clubs.
"Don't make us a scapegoat for the crisis," and "No to evening curfew" read banners carried by protesters, who gathered outside parliament and marched to the health ministry shouting "Freedom" and "Work".
The protesters, including night club and restaurant owners, largely disregarded guidelines by not wearing masks or socially distancing.
Several dozen taxis and food delivery cars joined the rally, blocking a major downtown boulevard.
Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov said the latest restrictions were necessary because Bulgaria's "last place in vaccinations leads to its first place in (Covid) mortality".
The EU member has so far registered 19,270 deaths from the virus, including a 14-day-old baby who died last Sunday, but fake news and widespread mistrust has hamstrung the vaccination rate.
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