Bulgaria to declare state of emergency over coronavirus

Bulgaria plans to declare a state of emergency to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Thursday as the country's confirmed cases rose sharply to 23.

The Balkan country confirmed its first death of a patient diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday, and on Thursday the number of confirmed cases jumped to 23 from 7.

"The government will ask the Parliament to declare a state of emergency which will allow the closing of schools, kindergartens and universities," Borissov said after an extraordinary government meeting.