BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary will close bars and entertainment venues and impose a night-time curfew as of midnight on Tuesday to curb a fast spread of coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
Orban said the government would introduce a “special legal order” as of midnight and would ask parliament to extend it by 90 days. He said the measures were needed to prevent hospitals reaching capacity by mid-December.
Schools remain open as well as all shops and restaurants and soccer games will continue to be played in front of thousands of spectators nationwide.
Trying to minimise further harm to the recession-hit economy, Orban’s nationalist government has so far refrained from imposing strict lockdown measures.
From Monday those violating rules on wearing face masks risk stiff fines, with offending restaurants and shops to be closed by authorities if necessary.
Last week the National Medical Chamber called on the government to limit the opening hours of restaurants and reimpose special shopping hours for the elderly as the number of COVID-19 patients rises. These measures have not been taken.
Hungary reported 3,989 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, its highest single-day tally, while the daily death toll also rose to a record high of 84. The total death toll rose to 1,973 and the number of patients treated in hospitals jumped to 4,767 from 4,417 on Monday.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
