Sofia, January 11 (BTA) - After a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) on Monday, National Assembly Chair Nikola Minchev felt unwell, took a COVID-19 and it came out positive, the Parliament's press office said said. That sends into quarantine the participants in the meeting, including President Rumen Radev, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, representatives of the parliamentary groups, the Ministers of Finance, Assen Vassilev, of the Interior, Boyko Rashkov, of Defence, Stefan Yanev, and Deputy Foreign Minister Irena Dimitrova, as well as the leaders of the State Agency for National Security and the National Intelligence Agency.

Sofia Regional Health Inspectorate Director Dancho Penchev assured BTA that the participants in the meeting will be quarantined in accordance with the law and coronavirus regulations.

Parliament's press office said that Nikola Minchev will participate in parliamentary sessions remotely, in compliance with the parliamentary rules of procedure. Prime Minister Petkov and the head of his political cabinet, Lena Borislavova, will be quarantined as well, said the government press service. Deputy Prime Minister for Good Governance Kalina Konstantinova will stand in for Prime Minister Petkov at his in-person appointments in the country while he is under quarantine.

The statement clarifies that it is still unclear whether a meeting with employers' organizations scheduled for 2 pm on Tuesday will be canceled, as it may be chaired by one of the deputy prime ministers.

President Rumen Radev and representatives of his team have also isolated themselves. Everyone is in good health, said the presidential press service.

Measures have been taken for the normal functioning of the presidential institution, the statement said.

Finance Minister Assen Vassilev is also under quarantine, but continues to work remotely, his office said.

Defence Minister Stefan Yanev is in quarantine but has no complaints and is in good health, said his Ministry's press office. Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Petkov will sit in for him.

GERB-UDF floor leader Desislava Atanasova said in a Facebook post that she is self-isolating. She blamed Minchev for behaving irresponsibly as he attended the Monday CCNS meeting, which lasted some six hours, without letting anybody know that he was feeling ill and likely caught the coronavirus from the floor leader of his Continue the Change party, who was not at the meeting due to coronavirus infection.

She said the state will practically run on autopilot, without in-person decisions of the President, National Assembly Chair, floor leaders, ministers and heads of special services.

Democratic Bulgaria floor leader Hristo Ivanov is under quarantine for 10 days as a contact person, his party's press office said.

Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov is also self-isolating and Deputy Minister Stoyan Temelakiev will sit in for him, said the Ministry's press office.

Vazrazhdane said that its leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who was at the CCNS meeting, self-tested negative for COVID and the negative result was confirmed by a test in a laboratory. According to the party, Kostadinov is clinically healthy and has not been ordered to go into quarantine by the health authorities. DT,RY/DT,MT/МТ///