Cecília Müller, Hungary’s chief medical officer, announced that the number of confirmed cases has risen to 585 and that in the previous 24 hours another 70-year-old man had died from coronavirus as well; the death toll from the virus now stands at 21. “Fortunately, we can also say that the number of those recovered is increasing as well and now stands at 42,” she said.
Müller also emphasized that “the situation has changed in that there is a clear increase in the number of people infected throughout the country, in all counties,” adding that “it is no longer always possible to explore all cases” nor find all those that the infected have been in contact with.
Müller asked all citizens to “prevent the possibility of infection by any means, practice social distancing, and leave home only when it is absolutely necessary.”
Colonel Tibor Lakatos, head of the Operational Group, reported on measures taken by the authorities in the previous 24 hours. “Currently, there are 10,688 people in compulsory home quarantine; the police have checked these people in 78,814 cases and found 418 cases of violation,” he said, adding that “all controls and procedures are performed to increase the sense of security.”
Lakatos also noted that the situation at the borders is quiet, with only short waiting times, if at all. “Between Slovenia and Hungary, two more border crossings were opened in order to help citizens [living] in those two countries go to work in the other country,” he said, adding that “there are ongoing negotiations with other neighboring countries aiming to solve similar problems.”
Regarding aid from abroad, Colonel Lakatos said that “the arrival of medical equipment is continuous; it is distributed based on need and is primarily going to health workers.”