In a video posted on his Facebook page this morning, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that, as the course of the pandemic in Hungary usually follows the Austrian trends by one or two weeks, Hungary must adopt a new list of restrictive measures, similar to those put in place in Austria, in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“Although our hospitals have been prepared and there is an abundance of equipment, including beds, ventilators, masks, and protective gear, and despite our doctors and nurses performing on a superhuman level, they are still people and their number is finite,” PM Orbán said, adding that this “burden” must be eased by slowing down the spread of the virus with restrictive measures.
The government will ask the Hungarian Parliament tomorrow to grant another 90 days of extraordinary powers, and Hungary plans to introduce the following measures to take effect at midnight on November 11:
A curfew will be instated between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
All forms of assembly will be forbidden.
Restaurants must close, but food delivery will remain possible.
Shops and services (e.g., hairdressers) must close by 7 p.m.
Hotels may only host business travelers.
There will be a general ban on events.
Family gatherings and private events may only be attended by a maximum of 10 people.
All sporting events must take place behind closed doors, without spectators.
Individual sports activities will be possible outdoors, but amateur team sports will be forbidden.
Recreational facilities, including gyms, indoor swimming pools, museums, theaters and zoos, must close.
Higher education may be continued only in an online format, and university dormitories will be closed.
Digital curriculum will be reintroduced above the 8th grade in high schools (for kids, typically, 14 years old and over).
Kindergartens, nurseries and primary schools will stay open for children under 14.
Hospital workers, teachers, and nursery and kindergarten staff will be tested weekly.
The state will reimburse hotels 80 percent of the value of bookings made for the next 30 days before November 8, on the condition that hotels will not lay off workers and continue to pay their salaries.
Employers will get a 30-day exemption from having to pay social contributions for staff at restaurants and recreational facilities Also, the state will cover 50 percent of these employees’ salaries on the condition that employees keep their jobs and continue receiving their salaries.
These measures will be in effect for 30 days.