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OMBUDSMAN: GOVT RESTRICTIONS 'NECESSARY, PROPORTIONATE'

 

The government’s restrictions introduced in response to the novel coronavirus epidemic have been “necessary and proportionate”, Ombudsman Ákos Kozma said in an interview to the daily Magyar Nemzet. Kozma said that regulations introduced in a state of emergency should be evaluated in light of “different constitutional standards”, adding that a special legal order in such situations is aimed at protecting people’s rights to life and wellbeing. Asked if the ombudsman’s office had received complaints during the state of emergency, Kozma said that “some applicants asked about the rights of employees and about the data employers were entitled to collect”, while others complained about the high cost of digital education. He said that his office had not recognised any violations in connection with coronavirus restrictions. The ombudsman said the office had received no complaints from patients discharged from hospitals to free beds for potential coronavirus patients.