The number of persons in compulsory home quarantine who have opted for voluntary electronic monitoring has risen to three hundred and thirty-six, a staff member of the duty centre of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus epidemic said at an online press conference held on Sunday.
Lt. Colonel Róbert Kiss said in the past 24 hours 965 new compulsory home quarantine orders had been issued; as a result, on Sunday the number of such restrictive orders in effect stands at 10,356.
During onsite checks conducted yesterday, the police were required to take action in 41 instances due to the violation of the rules related to compulsory home quarantine.
On Saturday in Budapest and Pest County, the police took action in 564 instances against persons violating the rules related to the restrictions on movement, including 340 cautions, 124 onsite fines and 99 prosecutions. The police have checked compliance with the rules related to the restrictions on movement since 28 March, and have been required to take action in 48,218 instances to date.
Regarding border traffic, he said the situation is calm; there could be minor delays in cargo traffic on the entry side at Röszke and in passenger traffic on the exit side at Nagylak.
In answer to a question, he also spoke about the monitoring of compliance with the protective measures introduced in the countryside; the police are primarily checking compliance with the rules of safe distancing, the time slots reserved in shops for the elderly, and the wearing of protective equipment such as face masks or scarves.
On Saturday the police were required to take action in 147 instances, including 84 cautions, 41 onsite fines and 22 prosecutions. He pointed out that on the terraces of restaurants and other catering establishments, the operator is required to ensure compliance with the rule of keeping a safe distance. According to their experiences, it is primarily on the terraces of fast food restaurants that young people gather together and fail to pay attention to keeping a safe distance. He asked them to observe the necessary protective measures in their own interests as well as in the interests of others.
He specifically spoke about the Balaton region where they are also conducting checks. On Saturday in Somogy County, the police were required to take action in 16 instances, including 13 cautions, 1 onsite fine and 2 prosecutions, while in Zala County 4 persons were cautioned, 1 onsite fine was imposed and 4 individuals were prosecuted due to the violation of regulations. In addition to not observing the rule of keeping a safe distance, people in these counties typically did not wear appropriate protective equipment at public transport stops.
In answer to the question of whether the wearing of a face mask or scarf applies to everyone, he said wearing protective equipment is the collective responsibility of both customers and shop workers.
In response to the question of whether the Operational Group will provide access for the metropolitan municipality to the epidemic data requested by Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony on Thursday, the Lt. Colonel said they have not yet received such a request.
(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister / MTI)
