The government, the Operational Group and the disease control authority are continuously monitoring the virus situation, in particular, the data of nursery and other schools, and wherever necessary, they will take action immediately, Alexandra Szentkirályi said.

In a video message posted on her Facebook account, the Government Spokesperson stressed that the goal of the government is to avoid measures that restrict daily life and to protect the health and jobs of Hungarian people, whilst maintaining the measures that seek to protect members of the public from the epidemic.

The new school year started for more than a million children and their parents. Digital education is available as an option; yet, we were all happy that the school year could start as usual, Ms. Szentkirályi said.

She highlighted that schools are helped with a special disease control protocol so that they can take as effective safety measures against the virus as possible. She mentioned among others that hand sanitisers must be made available at entrances, and in the interest of observing the rules relating to social distancing efforts must be made to keep students at a distance from one another and to avoid the mixing of classes, for instance, by changing the protocol for the ringing of the bell marking the start of classes. Schools must take care of regularly airing classrooms and the continuous disinfecting of desks, sports implements and corridors.

She said sick children must be immediately isolated both in schools and in dormitory facilities. Their absence during official home quarantine qualifies as excused.

At present, education is being carried out in the normal mode. However, if in one institution or another it is necessary to change over to digital education, child supervision services must be made available in order to thereby help parents, the Government Spokesperson pointed out.

The smooth continued operation of schools is in the best interests of both children and parents, Ms. Szentkirályi highlighted.

The Government Spokesperson thanked students, teachers and parents for their cooperation and for standing their ground in the past few months.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister / MTI)