Cooperation between physicians and relatives is essential in the interest of patients released from hospital due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Chief Medical Officer stressed at the online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus epidemic held on Friday.

Cecília Müller said disease control inspections are under way in elderly care homes, with special emphasis on institutions with high numbers of residents. This, however, does not only mean inspection, but also assistance, she highlighted.

The Chief Medical Officer stated that significant quantities of protective supplies had already been delivered to these institutions. She mentioned as an example that the Metropolitan Government Office had distributed 36,800 pairs of gloves and 262,200 face masks to institutions in Budapest, while next week further individual protective supplies will be delivered.

She said while the epidemic curve is flat, the number of infected persons is rising every day, meaning that, as expected, we will enter the phase of mass incidences.

According to her information, the number of registered patients has risen to 1,776, and another 14 persons have died, raising the total death toll to 156. 18 of the residents of the Pesti út elderly care home have died of coronavirus infection.

Meanwhile, 847 persons are being treated in hospital; the condition of 63 is critical, they are on assisted ventilation, she listed.

She recalled that in the past few days, the vacating of hospital beds has created a major stir.

She said in Hungary there are 66,000 hospital beds, and in general only 65 to 70 per cent of them are occupied. This means that only 15 per cent of beds must be vacated to make half of the available beds free.

She stressed that in every instance physicians decide on the relocation or release of patients on the basis of medical criteria.

Meaning that a patient cannot be sent home if this were to adversely affect his or her state of health, she pointed out.

In this regard, she encouraged everyone to notify the given institution, the patient rights representative or the National Centre for Public Health in the event of any problem.

In answer to questions, she said throughout the country there are 1,035 elderly care homes. They are starting the inspections in the institutions with the highest numbers of residents, and the preliminary results are expected to be released next week.

So far the coronavirus has appeared in 12 institutions, causing 31 fatalities in total, she said.

She drew attention to the fact that during crises the regrouping of health care workers is standard practice, and so also in this instance measures of this nature could be adopted according to a fixed plan. Some health care workers have already been redirected.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)