Hungary’s reopening – will we really get back our freedom by the summer?
Since the government modified the inoculation program and granted all teachers who registered to get the first jab before schools reopen, the dates of the possible end of lockdown changed. According to the government, they need at least 2.5 million inoculated people to allow education and shops to reopen. Portfolio.hu calculated the new deadlines.
The Hungarian news website says that, according to the Hungarian government, by Easter, the inoculation program could have 2.5 million people in the country. That is the most important prerequisite for education institutions and shops to reopen – both PM Viktor Orbán and Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás said so on Friday.
They said that
the deadline for that would be April 10,
so schools could reopen on April 19. The problem is that, in the case of teachers, there will be many who did not get the vaccine early enough to be actively immunised.
Furthermore, government communication shows that PM Viktor Orbán and his advisors calculate with a prolonged infection curve peaking at a very high level, maintaining the extreme pressure on the Hungarian healthcare system, Portfolio.hu says. Meanwhile,
they would like to reopen all shops based on a customer per square metre system.
- All the details about the Easter reopening plan of Hungary – what will change?
- Never have this many Hungarians been artificially ventilated
- Are businesses close to the Hungarian government the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic?
Based on the calculations of Portfolio.hu, the risk of having a fourth wave is not likely. That is because, after April 10, the Hungarian inoculation program will accelerate and reach 3 and 4 million earlier than previously expected. PM Viktor Orbán, for example, said on Friday morning that on April 19, the three millionth Hungarian would get their first vaccine.
According to Portfolio.hu, the vaccination program could reach that number on April 15. April 27 is the new deadline for 4 million people to have been vaccinated in total. Furthermore, they
did not calculate with the two additional vaccines accepted by the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition
because there is no contract concerning them yet. EU leaders also agreed that they would accelerate their vaccine import, which can be beneficial for Hungary.
According to the website’s calculations, Hungary could reach five million inoculated people by May 8, 6 million by May 18, and 7 million by May 29, which would mean that
the country may fully reopen at the end of May or at the beginning of June.
Of course, that is just a theory, which is affected by many factors, like the state bureaucracy, vaccine scepticism, or organisation. For example, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 21 pc of Hungarians would refuse to take any of the jabs. That fact decreases the theoretical inoculation peak of 6.2 million people. However, that would mean a 79 pc immunisation among adults, which is enough to reopen the country and banish the disease to the history books. That is why PM Viktor Orbán said
Hungarians would have a free summer.
Source: portfolio.hu
4 Comments
Talking about 6 million by May, but the authorities move extremely slow in this country. Seems like unrealistic prediction. No trust
Of course, as reported, the calculations are only based on whether seven million actually register for the vaccine. I don’t know why this has to happen as I think this whole registration process holds everything up. Maybe it’s the skepticism over non EMA approved vaccines. I can’t see why people can’t be contacted just by their TAJ number, after all everyone has one. The programme seems to be all over the place. I don’t really understand why sports competitors have precedence over the elderly and vulnerable. This is a country of just over nine million, the UK has 65 million, and they didn’t use a registration process. Just contacted through age groups and front line workers. Asked if they want the vaccine and then choose a slot on the date given, simple. I wonder whether there will be a public inquiry as to how the pandemic here has been handled ……
The results speak for themselves.
Why does it bother you people that little Hungary happen to do so much better than any of yours wherever you come from.
And your statement is based on what