Chaos in Budapest Airport: hundreds of passengers waited for hours to enter Hungary

Even though authorities have to check the health conditions of every Hungarian citizen coming from abroad, only every second desk was functioning, so passengers had to wait long hours to be able to cross the border. Thus, they said that keeping the compulsory distance between each other was almost impossible during the time they waited in the queues. The company operating the airport said that they comply with all security regulations.

According to ripost.hu, Renáta Hanga and her family arrived from the United Kingdom a couple of days ago and decided to travel by plane because of their two small children. The country is in the yellow category, so those who come from there have to go into quarantine for two weeks, which they can leave only after their first negative PCR test.

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“We already did two tests in England so we boarded the plane calmly where everybody travelled in a face mask. However, the sulfur came when we landed,” she said. There was chaos at the airport, and huge crowds were trying to get out from the terminals. 

They had to stand in a long queue for hours because only four stations were open where they had to show their documents to the authorities. As a result, they could not keep the required distance from each other. Furthermore, it came to light that neither the ones standing before and after them had a negative test.

“If we caught the virus somewhere, it is very likely that it was there,”

she added sadly to ripost.hu. 

To make matters worse, the staff offered those who smoke a place to do so, but nobody thought about the small children who stood in the overcrowded room waiting together with their parents. When the next plane arrived, nobody could even move because more people came.

Noémi Hovodzák said that the most annoying part was the lack of information since nobody told them what happens and why. As a result, they had the biggest chance yet to catch the virus at the airport. She said that more than 500 people were in the room, and even though authorities regularly warned about the importance of

keeping the distance, that was impossible.

Budapest Airpot said that they do what they can; for example, they regularly disinfect. They placed hand washers and disinfectant carpets and try to shorten the administration process. 

Based on the latest regulations, those coming from yellow or red countries have to go into quarantine for 14 days with the exception of those who have two official and negative PCR tests. In the case of the yellow ones, you can leave the quarantine after the first negative test. Meanwhile, in the case of the red ones, that can happen only after the second. General practitioners can prescribe the tests, and until August 1, the state pays for them. Interestingly, those travelling on the train do not have to separate themselves from others even though they come from a red country.

Source: ripost.hu