Operative board calls for cancellation of all March 15 national holiday events – UPDATE
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Hungary’s operative board in charge of handling the new coronavirus outbreak has called for the cancellation of all events to mark the March 15 national holiday.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Tibor Lakatos, head of the board’s emergency centre, advised people over 60 to avoid public gatherings and large crowds.
Those returning from Italy, he added, are asked to stay at home, along with their children, for a period of 14 days regardless of whether or not they exhibit symptoms of the virus.
Lakatos said the board had begun working on measures to be implemented at Schengen land border crossing points, which will include screening all entrants.
Chief medical officer Cecília Müller told the same news conference that
the virus was certain to continue spreading across Europe.
UPDATE
Chief medical officer Cecilia Müller told the same news conference that the procedure for defending against the new virus had so far changed on four occasions, adding that international organisations had already flagged additional changes. The Hungarian health authorities will comply with any further changes issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), she said.
Concerning the nationwide visiting ban imposed at hospitals, Muller said the restrictions did not apply in the cases of severely ill patients who are incapable of looking after themselves. According to the resolution, one parent is also allowed to stay at the hospital with their child and women due to give birth may also choose someone to accompany them, she added.
Müller confirmed that there were 16 health-care workers in quarantine, adding that their first tests had all come back negative.
She also said the virus was certain to continue spreading across Europe.