Breaking – Government modified validity of immunity certificates!

Hungary’s government will extend the validity of coronavirus immunity certificates for those who have received two vaccine doses until May 1, in line with the practice adopted by European Union countries, the prime minister’s chief of staff said on Thursday. Furthermore, pensioners will receive the first full 13th month pension in February, he said.

Neither Brussels, nor any EU member state have tightened the existing travel regulations due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, and the government does not want Hungarians to be subject to stricter rules than other EU citizens, Gergely Gulyás told a regular press briefing.

Meanwhile, citing virologists, he said the fifth wave of the pandemic had reached its peak in Hungary, and case numbers were expected to decrease at the same rate that they had peaked.

Though the spread of the virus has been significantly faster in the fifth wave, neither the number of hospitalisations, nor the death toll has been anywhere near as high as during the previous waves, Gulyás said.

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Gergely Gulyás added that “thanks to the economic achievements of the past decade”, the government was able to restore the 13th month pension after it had been scrapped by the previous left-wing government. Families will also see their 2021 personal income tax payments refunded this month and Hungarians under the age of 25 will receive their first tax-exempt salaries, he said. Doctors, nurses, social workers, teachers and public service workers will also receive their increased wages this month, he noted. Also, the budget deficit will be under 5 percent of GDP this year, he said.