Chief medical officer: Restrictions could be gradually eased in Hungary

Covid-19 patients are being treated in 25 hospitals across the country, the chief medical officer said on Wednesday.

Most of the paients are being treated in Budapest, Cecília Müller noted in an online press conference.

The number of cases has now reached 2,727.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic 300 patients have died and 536 have recovered from the infection,

she said, adding that 278 of the victims had been over 61 years, and only two patients had died who were younger than 40.

Muller said that the military has so far disinfected 300 elderly care homes nationwide. An outbreak of Covid-19 has been reported from 27 homes, where 628 seniors and 87 staff members contracted the virus, she said, adding that 317 senior patients have been hospitalised and 66 have died. She also said that 360 seniors in Budapest homes have tested positive, 49 of whom have died.

Muller said virus transmission appeared to be levelling off, and restrictions could be gradually eased.

She said the daily number of new cases had not increased for nearly a week.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the central board coordinating efforts against the epidemic said that the government, at its meeting on Wednesday, would discuss changes to curfew rules to be brought in from May 3 on. Róbert Kiss said that the epidemic is “in its second phase when restrictions can be eased gradually, according to a strict schedule”.

Currently over 10,000 people are in home quarantine,

Kiss said, adding that quarantine regulations have been violated on 1,325 occasions since March 12.

Kiss said that on Tuesday the police fined 371 violators of curfew regulations and filed 311 criminal complaints. So far 78 people have been prosecuted on charges of spreading coronavirus-related rumours and 89 others on charges of fraud, he said.

Read alsoCoronavirus – Hungary ready to ease the restrictions

Budapest retirement home fined for hygiene breaches

An elderly care home in Budapest’s eastern suburbs that has recently seen a surge of novel coronavirus cases has been fined 1 million forints (EUR 2,800) after an inspection of the facility uncovered multiple hygiene breaches, the Budapest government office said on Wednesday.

According to the latest data,

295 of the residents at the home on Pesti Road and 26 staff members have contracted the new virus, with the death toll standing at 34.

Irregularities uncovered during a recent inspection of the home included, among others, the improper handling of medical equipment designed for multiple uses, the government office said. Nurses’ rooms were not equipped with hand sanitisers and sterilisation standards were not being properly followed.

At the time of the inspection, the hand-washing sinks in the men’s changing room had no soap or towels next to them.

The facility had also failed to adequately track the expiration dates of their medicines, the office added.

The institution has been ordered to implement a number of hygienic measures and to ensure that it has the required number of qualified staff.

Source: MTI