Orbán warns Hungary set to face ‘hardest two weeks’ of pandemic

Photo: www.facebook.com/OrbánViktor

Hungary is set to face its hardest two weeks of the coronavirus pandemic yet, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video on Facebook on Thursday, encouraging the public to register for a vaccine.

The prime minister said he had met a group of mathematicians on Thursday to discuss epidemiological trends the country could expect over the coming days and weeks.

“I have a whole lot of bad news,” Orbán said.

“It appears that we are on the brink of the hardest two weeks of the pandemic yet. The emergence of the new mutant variants of the virus has led, and will continue to lead, to a sharp rise in infections.”

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Hospitals will have to withstand as yet unseen levels of pressure, he said, adding that the health-care system will be in need of all of its doctors, nurses and ventilators.

Orbán asked the public to continue to observe the regulations and guidelines issued by the operative board coordinating the response to the pandemic.

“We’re in a race against time,” he said.

“If many people register for a vaccine … it will help shorten this difficult period. If few people register, this period of enormous pressure will be longer.”