Page 41 - BNE_magazine_05_2020

bne May 2020 Central Europe I 41
restrictions imposed across the country on people and companies. Small non-food stores, as well as small service points in shopping malls, will be allowed to reopen, the government announced. There will be a time limit of 20 minutes for the owners to service customers, however. Larger non-food retail, restaurants, cafes and gyms remain closed.
Slovakia too is preparing to announce
a partial lifting of restrictions next week, even though the country, which has managed to keep the number of cases in the hundreds, recorded its largest daily increase of 114 on April 15.
However, in recent days other governments have prolonged or even tightened restrictions in a sign they believe it will be weeks – or even months – before economies in the region can start to recover.
Bulgaria’s health ministry ordered the closure of all fruit, vegetable and flower markets in a new set of restrictions related to the coronavirus on April 11. Bulgarians are also obliged to wear face masks when going out of their homes.
Controversially, the government decided to allow the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to hold Palm Sunday and Easter services despite the pandemic, even though Bulgarians are banned from going for a walk
in parks or mountain areas.
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis signed a decree on April 14, extending the state of emergency due to COVID-19 for another month, up to May 15, though opposition parties say they will only back the extension if the government gives more support to the economy and outlines its strategy to resume economic activity after the lockdown.
North Macedonia has also extended
its state of emergency for another 30 days, as interim Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski, Deputy PM Bujar Osmani, Health Minister Venko Filipce and several other officials were placed in self- isolation after holding a meeting with the mayor of Kumanovo, who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.
COVID-19 cases in Russia soar ahead of those in the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, which have the largest outbreaks in Central and Southeast Europe. Source: WHO
The recent acceleration of infections in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, compared to a tapering off of new cases in several Central and Southeast European countries. Source: WHO
Number of confirmed coronovirus cases
day + n, log scale, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkey in bold
www.bne.eu