Hungarian police: Over 3,000 persons have been ordered to compulsory home quarantine in the past 24 hours

Photo: Police.hu

During the period of disease control preparedness, the police have checked compliance with the rules relating to compulsory home quarantine in more than a million cases so far, the deputy head of the duty centre of the Operational Group responsible for the fight against the coronavirus epidemic said at an online press conference held on Wednesday.

Lt. Colonel Róbert Kiss highlighted that on the previous day the police had carried out 12,719 checks, while since the spring more than 1,071,000.

According to his information, at present, 27,449 persons are in compulsory home quarantine, while in the past 24 hours 3,280 persons have been ordered to retire to compulsory home quarantine, including 644 upon crossing the border.

Mr Kiss said

at present, 1,815 persons are using the mobile phone application for the verification of compliance with the quarantine regulations.

In the past 24 hours, the police have taken action in 32 instances against violators of the more stringent rules introduced on Monday. The police were required to take action in five instances on public transport, while in another 27 instances in stores and other places.

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The police officer drew attention to the fact that, according to the regulation, everyone over the age of 6 is required to wear face masks on public transport, at public transport stops, in shops, shopping centres, not including offices, catering establishments and sports facilities on the premises of shopping centres, theatres, cinemas, performance and artistic venues, museums, libraries, archives, public education, health care and social institutions as well as on customer service premises.

In answer to a question, Mr Kiss said between 11.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. only members of staff are allowed to be present on the premises of entertainment venues, not including for the purpose of the collection of goods deliveries, payment for goods and food delivery services.

Police officers may check compliance with the relevant protective measures and will take action if they observe any violation. The police officer asked the operators of such establishments to ensure that these rules are observed at entertainment venues.

In answer to another question, Mr Kiss pointed out that if a passenger travelling on a public transport vehicle fails to observe the rule relating to the wearing of a face mask, the driver will instruct him or her to do so, and if despite this the passenger fails to comply with the driver’s instruction, the driver will not proceed and may call upon the violator to disembark or may even initiate police action. In this case, the police may start proceedings against the violator due to the disruption of public services.

The police officer also warned that assaulting a public transport driver could qualify as assault on a public official which carries a heavy sentence.