‘Reopening too soon’, cautions Doctors’ Chamber

János Vajda/MTI

The board of the Hungarian Chamber of Doctors (MOK) on Wednesday said a reopening is starting too soon in the country, insisting that the epidemiological and health situation does not yet mandate an easing of pandemic rules.

“We believe reopening has started too soon. We maintain the view that an improvement in the epidemic data and a reduction in case load on the health-care system should be the preconditions for reopening rather than the current ratio of vaccinations,” MOK’s board said in a statement.

The board noted that Hungary reported a

record high number of Covid-19 related deaths

for Tuesday, an increasing number of Covid patients in hospital and a stagnating high number of people needing ventilator support.

“Data suggest that the third wave is just peaking. Vaccination ensures a reassuring high degree of protection against the virus only after the seventh day following the second shot. In any earlier phase, after receiving the first shot, protection is only partial which means that transmission is still possible while the recipient develops a false sense of security,” the board said.

The board said it supported extending the opening hours of shops and restricting the number of customers but consider the planned reopening of schools as a move coming “too early”.

MOK’s board has asked the public to continue observing pandemic rules including limited visits to shops, public spaces and friends, as well as mask wearing, warning that “we are far from being over the third wave which has already taken a heavy toll on us”.

Source: MTI

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