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CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: EFFECTS OF EASING RESTRICTIONS TO BE MONITORED

 

The novel coronavirus epidemic is still ongoing in Hungary, and the effects of the government’s forthcoming steps to ease restrictions will be carefully monitored, the chief medical officer said. Protection efforts in Hungary have reached a stage where the health-care system is prepared to treat a potentially growing number of patients, Cecília Müller said at the press conference of the operative board responsible for coordinating the epidemic response. The assessment of larger retirement homes and of those hit by the epidemic has been concluded. The outcomes of assessments of smaller care homes are expected at the end of next week, she said. In line with international tendencies, Hungarian health-care staff make up 13% of those infected, Müller said, adding staff are tested every seventh day.
A further 12 people, all of whom were elderly and suffering from an underlying illness, have died, bringing the total number of Covid-19 deaths to 312, while the number of registered infections in Hungary has risen by 48 to 2,775, koronavirus.gov.hu said. Fully 581 people who were hospitalised have recovered, while 998 patients are being treated, 54 of whom are on ventilators. With the rise in the number of patients, hospitals across the country are increasing their bed capacity in preparation for the phase of mass illness. Currently 10,199 people in official home quarantine. The number of tests carried out stands at 72,951. Budapest has the most infections (1,368), followed by Pest County (375) and Fejér county (271). Vas County has the fewest infections in Hungary, with 14.