Zafirova and her teammates will now have to quarantine for 10 days and will not be able to train or compete, as reported by Bulgarian television station bTV.

This means they will be unprepared for the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Kyiv from November 26 to 29 and will no longer travel to the event. 

Boryana Kalain and Katrin Taseva, both preparing to compete in the individual contests in the Ukrainian capital, are still able to travel to the event.

The Bulgarian team were considered medal favourites in the group all-around, having finished with a World Championships bronze medal in the discipline in 2019 and 2018. 

They earned World Championships silver medal in 2017 and 2015, and had topped the podium in 2014. 

Bulgaria would have also benefited from the withdrawal of both Russia and Italy from the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. 

The two countries decided against sending delegations to Kyiv due the logistical and health difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A rise in coronavirus cases across Europe has sparked fears over sports events on the continent, but the European Rhythmic Championships are set to go ahead.

Qualification for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, now set to take place in 2021, will not be on offer at the event.

The European Gymnastics Executive Committee decided in September it did not want to put pressure on National Federations to travel to the Championships.