Coronavirus in Hungary: 103 fatalities over the past 24 hours – UPDATE

Fully 103 patients, mostly elderly with an underlying illness, have died over the past 24 hours, while 4,140 new coronavirus infections have been registered, bringing the total number of infections since the outbreak in the spring to 118,918, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Tuesday.

The death toll has risen to 2,596, while 27,585 people have made a recovery.

There are 88,737 active infections and 6,153 hospitalised patients, 461 on a ventilator.

Fully 36,078 people are in official home quarantine, while the number of tests carried out stands at 1,238,467.

The measures announced by Orbán will take effect from midnight on Tuesday and last 30 days, but could be extended if necessary.

The most important measure is the new curfew. “Only those going to and coming from work will be exempted,” Orbán noted.

Furthermore, Orbán said, all gatherings are forbidden, and restaurants will also have to close, but the rules permit home deliveries, while factory canteens may stay open.

Shops, hairdressers and other small service providers will have to close at 7 p.m. and only up to ten people are allowed for family reunions and private events.

Higher education facilities and universities will switch to online education, while university dormitories will be closed and nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools will remain open to those under 14 years of age.

A maximum of 50 people are allowed to attend funerals, sports matches can be held only behind closed doors, while amateur team sports are prohibited. Individual sports are allowed outdoors.

Leisure and fitness facilities, indoor swimming pools, theaters, museums, zoos should stay closed.

Hotels can only accommodate business guests, not tourists.

• Budapest mayor: Orbán cabinet had already lost control of the epidemic weeks ago

Hungary’s COVID-19 cases have risen sharply since late August. The country’s total cases topped 10,000 on Sept. 10, 50,000 on Oct. 21, 80,000 on Nov. 2 and 100,000 on Nov. 7.

So far most people have been registered in Budapest (29,358) and Pest County (15,451), followed by the counties of Győr-Moson-Sopron (8,468), Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén (7,002) and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg (6,236). Tolna County has the fewest infections (1,478).

Szijjártó hails progress in Russia vaccine talks

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó has welcomed “another step forward” in negotiations between a Hungarian pharmaceutical company and Russian authorities concerning production of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

Szijjártó called Monday’s teleconference between the Hungarian producer and the Russian health ministry and Russia’s direct investment fund “constructive and positive” and said that production of the new vaccine in Hungary was dependent on Russia’s “actual research and production requirements”, which would soon be released to the aspirant company.

The minister is in home quarantine with Covid-19 symptoms.

Orbán has pledged to procure COVID-19 vaccines, which will be made available to all citizens who want it.

The prime minister said his administration was engaged in talks on purchasing vaccines from China and Russia, adding that Hungary could have access to two to three different vaccines by next spring.

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Source: MTI/Xinhua