Bulgaria, a country in Southeast Europe,  said on Wednesday it would close schools, restaurants, shopping malls and gyms until December 21 as it struggles to contain a surge in new COVID-19 climb up.

The restrictions, which will start late on Friday, are aimed at preventing a strained health system from being overwhelmed and at halting the spread of infections in the Balkan country of 7 million people. "Only one thing has been proven to have an impact on COVID-19 - decreasing social contacts or quarantine. To ease the pressure on hospitals that are on the brink, we are introducing measures for three weeks," Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said.

Like much of central and eastern Europe, Bulgaria weathered the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well in the spring, but cases have spiked across the region this autumn. Bulgaria registered 4,382 new infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 129,348.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS "The restrictions are needed to limit the spread of the infection, decrease the number of fatalities and allow each Bulgarian family to celebrate Christmas," chief health inspector Angel Kunchev told reporters.

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