Attending the Coronavirus Operational Group’s press conference this morning, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Finance András Tállai said that “the first phase of defense against the coronavirus has come to an end, and Hungary has been one of the countries with the most successful defense.” Tállai said that the most critical part of Hungary’s Economy Protection Action Plan, put in motion by the government to remedy the negative effects of the epidemic, was the moratorium on loan repayments.
The moratorium affected 7.7 million loan contracts, the deputy minister continued, saving Hungarians nearly HUF 3.6 trillion. He added that “40 percent of private clients have decided to continue their loan payments as well as 70 percent of large companies and 40 percent of all small and medium-sized enterprises.”
“Thanks to its timely and efficient measures, Hungary stands a good chance of recovering from the economic slowdown as soon as possible. It could then become the EU’s top-performing member state,” he concluded.
Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller revealed at the press conference that the number of recovered patients is now higher than the number of active coronavirus cases in Hungary. “In the last 24 hours, 15 new coronavirus cases have been encountered, bringing the number of coronavirus infections to 3,756,” Müller said, adding that the number of recovered patients now stands at 1,554.
Currently, there are 430 patients, less than a third of all active cases, being treated in hospitals, Müller said. Reporting on the age of those who have succumbed to the virus, the CMO said that while no one under the age of 29 has died from the virus in Hungary, there were three deaths between the ages of 30 and 39 and 228 above the age of 80.
Speaking about the easing of border-crossing restrictions, Lieutenant Colonel of the Police Róbert Kiss said that due to a new Hungarian-Serbian agreement, Serbian and Hungarian citizens can now cross the border without the 14-day compulsory home quarantine. If people do start to show symptoms, however, they must notify the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, the number of compulsory home quarantines is 11,810, and Hungarian police officers have so far launched proceedings in 106 cases for scaremongering, 29 cases involving the threat of public endangerment, 121 cases for fraud and 21 cases for other misdemeanors.
Photo credit: Origo