Socialists call for free PCR testing for travellers who received eastern jabs

The opposition Socialists called on the government to make PCR testing free of charge to recipients of eastern vaccines who want to travel abroad, MEP István Újhelyi said on Thursday.

Hungarians vaccinated with Russian and Chinese jabs are forced to produce negative PCR test results before crossing borders because eastern vaccines are not automatically recognised within the European Union in the new system of EU immunity certificates introduced on July 1, Újhelyi said.

The problem affects some 2 million Hungarians who will be expected to pay for expensive PCR tests in order to be able to travel abroad for holiday, study or work, he added.

The EU has allocated 100 million euros support for cheap or free tests to member states, he said. The Socialists want to find out when the Hungarian government plans to use this opportunity, he added.

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