During this morning’s Operational Group press conference, Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller underlined that although appropriate measures have so far been taken by the authorities to fight the coronavirus, the public must follow the government’s rules and regulations to avoid mass disease.
“The coronavirus appeared in Hungary exactly one month ago,” Müller recalled. “Appropriate measures were taken at the right time, and, as a result, no explosion in the number of infections was seen. The epidemic can be kept under control,” she added.
Müller also reported a rise in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hungary to 678 while six more people unfortunately passed away. The good news is that 58 people have now recovered from the virus.
The Chief Medical Officer also called attention to some important rules to follow to help Hungary beat the virus. Müller pointed citizens to avoid outside gatherings and to pay attention to all regulations in closed institutions, old people’s homes for example, as the virus can spread much more easily and will take a much larger effort to contain.
“The guidelines and orders that have been issued must be followed,” she said, adding that “we are now on the verge of mass disease, so we can’t relax the rules at any level.”
Meanwhile, Colonel Tibor Lakatos highlighted that six flights have so far arrived in Hungary carrying medical equipment and another will arrive today from China. “Hospitals and the police will continue to be provided with protective equipment, so far 50 hospitals have received healthcare equipment,” he said.
Finally, in regards to fake news, Colonel Lakatos said false stories make the fight against the epidemic very difficult. “Authorities can find themselves in a very difficult position because of fake news,” he said, adding that “unfortunately sometimes even those in responsible positions state things that include a hidden arousal of fear.”
Photo credit: Hír TV