BREAKING! First coronavirus death reported in Hungary

A Hungarian patient, a 75-year-old man taken to the South Pest Central Hospital with coronavirus infection symptoms and pneumonia, has died, the government’s information centre said on Sunday.

The number of confirmed cases in Hungary grew to 32 on Sunday, the koronavirus.gov.hu website said.

The authorities have started investigating whom the new patients may have been in contact with, the website said.

Of the 32 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Hungary so far, nine are Iranian, 22 Hungarian and one is British.

One patient has fully recovered, the website said.

The number of people in quarantine is currently 79 while the health authority has done tests on 1,236 samples, it said.

Tibor Lakatos, the head of the emergency centre set up by the operative board coordinating the epidemic response, told a press conference later on Sunday that a mobile container hospital will be built in Kiskunhalas, southern Hungary, to offset possible capacity shortages.

Lakatos also noted that disregarding regulations on home quarantine is a misdemeanor. He was commenting in connection with a man who was instructed to self-quarantine but was found in public on Sunday.

The police have taken the necessary action, he added.

Speaking at the same press conference, State Secretary Zoltán Kovács expressed his and the Hungarian government’s condolences over the first coronavirus-related death. The government is providing all resources for the response to the epidemic, and all equipment necessary is available, the state secretary for international communication and relations said.

He called on the public to cooperate with the operative board’s guidelines and show “responsibility and resolve” in containing the virus.

Kovács also noted the need to show extreme care when keeping in contact with the elderly.

Regarding another topic, Hungary will keep its borders closed to Serbian nationals coming from Italy and seeking to return home, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video message posted on Facebook in Belgrade on Sunday.

Orbán travelled to the Serbian capital to hold talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

He said they discussed protective measures implemented against the coronavirus epidemic.

Orbán said that as regards the common theme of the Serbian-Hungarian border they agreed that cargo transport could continue under security measures.

“Hungary however is not in a position to allow entry of those coming from Italy, including Serbian citizens who want to go back to Serbia,” Orbán said.

He said he asked the Serbian president for understanding that “Hungary’s border in the direction of Italy remains closed”.

Source: MTI