SOFIA: Bulgaria plans to keep its schools, restaurants and shopping malls closed until Jan 31 to contain the spread of coronavirus and help its strained healthcare system, the health minister said on Wednesday (Dec 16).

The restrictions, which were due to end on Dec. 21, have helped decrease the surge in new infections, but the country of 7 million people still has the highest COVID-19 death rate per 100,000 people in the European Union.