Starting the daily press conference of the Coronavirus Operational Group, Róbert Kiss, lieutenant colonel of the Hungarian Police, reminded those present that the second phase of the defense against the coronavirus started today in Hungary. This means that daily life and the economy can slowly restart in the countryside, although movement restrictions remain in force in Budapest and Pest County.
With the new regulations, police are focusing on social distancing and the wearing of masks in shops and on transport (e.g., buses, taxis) in rural cities. Similar to Western European countries, “a regulation creating the possibility for electronic monitoring of those in compulsory home quarantine – currently 10,547 people – has been announced in the Hungarian Gazette,” Kiss added.
Cecília Müller, chief medical officer, pointed out that the spread of the epidemic has stabilized. “The number of active infections decreased below 2,000 due to a decrease in the number of new confirmed cases and an increase in the number of recovered ones,” she said, adding that “Budapest and Pest County are still the areas most affected by the epidemic.”
Touching upon the resumption of normal healthcare services, Müller said that “everything should happen gradually; the spread of the epidemic needs to be closely monitored and then followed by the [proper] measures.” She drew attention to the fact that people must make an appointment for all healthcare services, and a maximum of four patients can be treated in an hour. Regular circulation of air and disinfection of rooms after each patient visit are also requirements.
Answering a question from the press regarding the coronavirus treatment using blood plasma from recovered patients, Müller said that the therapy has been promising. “Both patients who received plasma saw a dramatic improvement in their condition,” the CMO said.