Immunity certificate: it has finally been revealed what it is good for!
More than 3.5 million Hungarian people have already received at least their first vaccination. As a result of that, the government gradually eases the restrictions. Those who have received the first vaccine will receive the immunity certificate even if a second vaccination is required to achieve full protection.
“Domestic tourism could start and life could resume in the second half of next week when the number of people vaccinated will reach four million,” said PM Viktor Orbán on Friday. Hotels, theatres, concert halls, gyms, swimming pools, cinemas, libraries, zoos, and the interior part of restaurants can open. However, it may easily be that
all these places can only be visited by those who have an immunity certificate.
In addition to them, those under the age of 18 and those who have been infected with the coronavirus can also visit these places. People who have been infected must prove that they have actually gone through the disease. Pál Frankó, the president of the National Association of Rural Accommodation Providers, told vg.hu that there were those who had already cancelled their reservation because they did not have an immunity certificate. Frankó believes that both guests and hosts are well-informed, but there is a lot of uncertainty.
There will be no oral exam for graduation this year, so the pre-season can start as early as mid-May. Tamás Flesch, president of the Association of Hungarian Hotels and Restaurants, believes that labour could be a problem. It is not known at this time how many have temporarily or permanently switched from hospitality to another area of work.
According to Gergely Gulyás, those with an immunity certificate can also be exempted from the current curfew. 65% of the more than half a million Hungarians who completed the National Consultation believe that those who have an immunity certificate should receive benefits against certain restrictive measures.
An immunity certificate is automatically issued to anyone who has been vaccinated with any type of vaccine. The card does not show the expiration date or the type of vaccination. Those who have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection will also receive an immunity certificate. However, in this case, the card is valid for six months from the date of recovery. For those who are presumed to have been infected based on the antibody test, the immunity certificate is valid for four months.
There is no expiration date for vaccinated people because it is not know how long the vaccine will protect against the virus.
Telex.hu says that if a card expires, it cannot be extended. Those whose cards expires can take the test again at their own expense and request a new card for around €9.
Many criticise PM Orbán’s decision because they think it is discriminatory. They said that it has previously been said that no one should be disadvantaged by not taking the vaccine. However, the new provision is the opposite. You can also see how divisive the decision is in Viktor Orbán’s Facebook post. Some are happy to finally be able to go out again, others say it is blackmail and a violation of liberties.
Source: vg.hu, telex.hu