Bulgarian president must self-isolate after COVID-19 contact -health minister

Radev travelled to Estonia on Monday but cut short his visit and returned on Tuesday evening, showing reporters at Sofia airport a negative result of a COVID-19 test he took during his trip. However, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said Radev had must self-isolate as a precaution following his contact with the commander of the Bulgarian air force on Friday.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will have to self-isolate pending a coronavirus test after coming into contact late last week with a top military officer who later tested positive for COVID-19, the health minister said on Tuesday. Radev travelled to Estonia on Monday but cut short his visit and returned on Tuesday evening, showing reporters at Sofia airport a negative result of a COVID-19 test he took during his trip.

However, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said Radev had must self-isolate as a precaution following his contact with the commander of the Bulgarian air force on Friday. It was not clear when Radev would undergo another COVID-19 test or how long he would have to remain under quarantine, but the president said he was symptom-free.

"Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, I have been in constant contact with thousands of people across the country, but I am strictly abiding by all health measures and have not had any problems, nor do I have one right now," Radev said. "I am in a perfect physical condition, without any symptoms of infection," he said.