Bulgaria Offers Supermart Vouchers To Spur COVID Jabs

Bulgaria is offering vouchers for people vaccinated against the coronavirus, in order to accelerate its faltering vaccination campaign, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

Photo Insert: Vouchers for the vaccinated. The Bulgarian government hopes to boost its lethargic vaccination rate through this innovative method.

Vouchers for groceries worth 20 leva (10 euros) were valid from Friday in supermarkets belonging to a large chain.

The vaccination doses are to be administered in front of these supermarkets in the capital, Sofia, in Plovdiv in the south, and in the Black Sea cities of Varna and Burgas, the Nova broadcaster reported.

Bulgaria ranks very low within the European Union (EU) in terms of its vaccination rate. Many Bulgarians have prejudices against vaccinations, and unfounded rumors about possible consequences are circulating on the internet.

Also on Friday, catering and hotel industry workers protested in Plovdiv against Delta variant-related restrictions, which are to come into force on Tuesday. According to a report from broadcaster bTV, the demonstrators briefly blocked streets in central Plovdiv.

A similar protest temporarily blocked the E-79 highway to Greece in south-western Bulgaria. A national industry protest is scheduled for next week in Sofia.

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