As part of the already introduced state of emergency, the government has implemented extraordinary measures with a view to preventing the spread of the coronavirus and in the interest of protecting the health and lives of the Hungarian people.
The government has promulgated its decree No. 41/2020 (III.10.) on the measures to be implemented as part of the state of emergency.
Here are the latest measures:
1) Temporary reinstatement of border controls at the Hungarian-Slovenian and Hungarian-Austrian borders.
2) Ban on entry for non-Hungarian nationals arriving from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran. Non-Hungarian nationals arriving from countries which qualify as epicenters of the epidemic (Italy, China, South Korea and Iran) are not allowed to enter the territory of Hungary. Trains, buses and – not including the case of transit without landing – civilian aircraft used for international passenger transportation on services originating from the territories of the above-mentioned countries are not allowed to enter the territory of Hungary.
3) Compulsory home quarantine. The authority may select individuals potentially infected with the virus not only for hospital quarantine, but also for compulsory home quarantine. Hungarian nationals who arrive in the territory of the country from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran will be subjected to compulsory home quarantine even if they are symptom-free. Upon entry into Hungary, they will be subjected to a health screening which they will be required to undergo. Those who are suspected of having contracted the virus in consequence of such health screening will be placed under quarantine in the designated institution (e.g. hospital quarantine). Those who are not suspected of having contracted the virus in consequence of the above-mentioned health screening will be required to subject themselves to home quarantine in their homes or temporary residence for 14 days. These persons will be registered by the disease control authority, and compliance with the rules relating to compulsory home quarantine will be checked by the police. Providing for the needs of individuals in compulsory home quarantine is the duty of the mayor of the local government. Hungarian nationals in whose case the suspicion of novel coronavirus infection does not emerge after a thorough medical examination, but who have no permanent or temporary residence in Hungary will leave the territory of Hungary in accordance with the authority’s instruction or will be placed under quarantine in a designated institution.
4) The expired official documents valid in the territory of Hungary of Hungarian nationals will remain valid for a period of 15 days extending beyond the end of the state of emergency.
5) Students are forbidden to enter the premises of higher education institutions.
6) In the interest of the coordinated containment of the virus, in public education institutions (schools, nursery schools), the head of the institution, the local clerk and the Education Office are not allowed to order an extraordinary school break within their own competence.
7) Events in indoor venues with an audience of more than 100 people, while in outdoor venues with an audience of more than 500 people are banned. Enforcing this restriction is the responsibility of the organizer or the venue operator.
8) We are suspending the Language Learning Program Abroad for secondary school students.
9) School trips abroad are forbidden. Already booked school trips abroad must be cancelled.
10) Non-Hungarian nationals who violate the rules of quarantine imposed by the disease control authority will be expelled and deported from the territory of Hungary.
11) In the interest of protecting the Hungarian people and with a view to guaranteeing the continued operation of healthcare, defense, law enforcement and public administration, health care workers, career contract soldiers, voluntary reserve soldiers carrying out actual military service, defense workers, members of the law enforcement staff, law enforcement workers, employees of the tax authority and civil servants are not allowed to travel abroad. In the case of ministries, official travel abroad is subject to the special permission of the minister or the Prime Minister.
12) The Hungarian Defense Forces will take part in the implementation of law enforcement measures related to the state of danger, and will support the police and the disaster management agency during the fulfilment of their responsibilities. The Defense Health Care Institutes of the Health Care Centre of the Hungarian Defense Forces, in cooperation with the NATO Center of Excellence for Military Medicine will send recommendations for measures to the head of the Operational Corps Responsible for the Containment of the Coronavirus Epidemic on an ongoing basis.
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 under koronavirus@bm.gov.hu.