Orbán cabinet seeks mayors’ opinion on easing restrictions in Budapest

The government has decided to consult doctors and district mayors of Budapest before passing a decision on whether or not to ease restrictions in the city, originally planned for Wednesday.

According to information from the Prime Minister’s Office, the government expects a written response from district mayors before Thursday afternoon as to whether they support removing restrictions and restarting activities in Budapest.

Fewer Covid-19 cases have been reported nationwide for the past few days, but the figures are still highest in Budapest and surrounding Pest County.

Operative board: Protective gear delivered to 26 hospitals

Protective gear was delivered on Tuesday to 26 hospitals and 11 other institutions involved in protection efforts against the coronavirus epidemic, a spokesman of the operative board coordinating the response said.

Róbert Kiss told a regular press conference on Wednesday that

the police continue to monitor compliance with the restrictions introduced to combat the epidemic.

So far, nearly 50,000 cases required police action, he said.

Speaking at the same press conference, Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller said

60 percent of registered coronavirus patients are from Budapest and Pest county.

Müller also called on the employees of reopening kindergartens and creches to use disinfected toys and regularly clean them, and observe strict rules of personal hygiene.

A recently conducted representative study of 8,000 people has shown a “promisingly low” rate of infection in Hungary, Müller noted. However, the virus “has not disappeared”, she said, and called on the public to continue to excercise social distancing and cover their mouths in public.

Source: MTI