January 24 (BTA) - The owners of night clubs, bars and discos in the capital will boycott the new anti-epidemic measures introduced by the Sofia Regional Health Inspectorate (SRHI) as they find these discriminatory, Bulgarian Association of Catering Establishments (BACE) President Richard Alibegov said here on Monday, emerging from a meeting of the owners.

By order of SRHI Director Dancho Penchev, as of January 27, Sofia's eating and entertainment establishments will work at 50 per cent of their capacity and visitors will have to present a Green Certificate as proof of vaccination against, recovery from, or a negative test for COVID-19. Gambling halls, casinos, eating, and entertainment establishments, including such in accommodation establishments, will have to close at 10 pm.

Emil Kolarov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Restaurant Association, stressed that the branch will stage a protest if SRHI does not lift the restrictions. "We will file lawsuits against the State for all the damages it did to us in the last two years with most of its restrictions", Kolarov warned.

Alibegov argued that SRHI's order restricts the activities of entertainment establishments which will soon have to pay higher electricity bills, taxes and salaries. Meanwhile, businesses cannot receive compensations as the new restrictions are not introduced by an order of the Health Minister. In addition, most eating and entertainment establishments do not meet the requirements for these compensations, Alibegov said.