Coronavirus in Hungary – Death toll at Pesti Road elderly care home 27

So far, 27 residents died in an elderly care home in Budapest’s eastern suburbs, the chief medical officer told an online press conference on Tuesday, adding that in a second round of testing another 58 residents and 4 employees proved infected with the novel coronavirus.

Cecília Müller said that those infected will be isolated within the facility in Pesti Road. She added that elderly home residents treated in hospital cannot be released before two consecutive samples come back negative.

So far, the virus has spread to 20 retirement homes, three of which have a relatively high case count, she said.

Only a couple of people are infected in the rest of the homes, Müller said, adding that those residents would be monitored for symptoms.

Müller said that homes for the elderly were being inspected nationwide, and health authorities would soon start disinfecting them in cooperation with the army.

Meanwhile, she said the head of the local office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently assessed the status of the epidemic in Hungary and had backed the testing methods employed by the health authorities. Müller cited the head of the office as saying that

coronavirus testing in Hungary was widespread enough.

Hungary tests 30 people around every confirmed Covid-19 patient compared with the WHO’s recommendation of ten tests, she added.