Following PM Orbán’s announcement last night that Hungary is set to enter the next phase of protective measures against the novel coronavirus epidemic, Gergely Gulyás today provided details on how the country will move forward with the second phase of its coronavirus defense.
The minister said the first phase has now come to an end, adding that “the virus will be with us for a longer period of time, but our healthcare system is now prepared for this.”
“Thanks to 50 days of hard work, we are in a situation where we are also prepared for the stage of large-scale disease,” Gulyás said. The number of infected people in Hungary is relatively low, he said, adding that they must still prepare for the worst and luckily now have enough ventilators for any spike in coronavirus cases.
Starting on May 4, the defense will move to its second stage. The goal remains the same: to guarantee the safety of those at risk. Currently, 70 percent of active infections are in the Central Hungarian region, and 70 percent of deaths have been in and around Budapest. Thus, movement restrictions will remain in force in these areas. Additionally, representative testing will begin with the collaboration of four medical facilities.
The government will publish data on the disease and mortality rates separately for Budapest and other parts of the country, the minister further noted.
A call center set up for advice on the coronavirus can be reached on +36-80-277-455 and +36-80-277-456 or by email koronavirus@bm.gov.hu