Schools to Remain Closed by January 09

Christmas holidays of school students will continue by January 06, Friday, due to fears of a flu epidemic, Bulgaria's Education Ministry has said.

Schools were to reopen no January 05.

However, a third of Bulgaria's municipalities have already registered a flu epidemic, and authorities are trying to prevent the disease from spreading further.

Another reason are expectations of heavy snowfall and negative temperatures across the country, the ministry says.