April 13 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria has bartered 32 tonnes of food with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for protective medical gear needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the government in Sofia said on Monday.
Bulgaria received 15 tonnes of medical consumables such as protective masks, gloves, costumes, and disinfectants as well as food from the UAE in exchange for vegetables, meat and dairy products provided by two Bulgarian companies and delivered to UAE's capital city of Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the government said in a statement.
Last weekend, Bulgaria's government made the wearing of protective masks in public mandatory, until April 26, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
As of Monday, there are 676 registered COVID-19 cases in Bulgaria, including 31 deaths related to the infectious disease as well as 71 recoveries. Bulgaria is currently in a state of emergency until May 13 due to the spread of the infection.