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Government to maintain current level of restrictions to prevent second wave

Gergely Gulyás, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, said changing the current restrictions would be risky and the government wants to avoid this.

 

Gergely Gulyás, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, has said the government aims to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic and it has decided to maintain the current level of restrictions.

Gulyás said changing the current restrictions would be risky and the government wants to avoid this. The aim is to ensure that the school year starts on time, on September 1. The current ban on gatherings of more than 500 people will be extended after August 15.

According to MTI, the government will also provide HUF 5.3 billion (EUR 15.3m) to support the music industry, including HUF 800 million to help Roma musicians.

Gulyás said Hungary was among countries that had handled the first wave of the epidemic most successfully. He cautioned that a surge is under way in many other countries such as Serbia, Romania, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro, and a slight increase in cases has been reported in Sweden, the UK and Italy, indicating a global trend.

The number of active infections, however, is falling in neighboring Croatia and Slovenia. The minister said that under the current circumstances, infection levels in Hungary can be kept stable. Gulyás called on citizens to respect social distancing rules and regulations on wearing a mask.

Photo credit: 24.hu