We are ready to keep the further spread of the coronavirus epidemic under control, the head of the duty centre of the Operational Group responsible for the fight against the coronavirus epidemic said at an online press conference held on Saturday.

Colonel Tibor Lakatos recalled that the government had set up the Operational Group on 31 January, while the duty centre on 25 February.

The duty centre continuously monitors incidence data in Hungary, the epidemic situation in European countries and the measures introduced, gathers and evaluates information, and makes recommendations for the decisions of the Operational Group.

He said they continued work also during the period of the disease control preparedness. In August, they were assigned additional responsibilities upon the reinstatement of border controls. According to this measure, only those persons are allowed to enter the territory of the country who satisfy the disease control conditions in effect.

The police have checked compliance with the rules relating to mandatory home quarantine more than 56,000 times electronically and over a million times via conventional means.

Both the Operational Group and its duty centre as well as the ministries and other agencies participating in the Operational Group’s activities will take the appropriate measures on the basis of the rules now adopted, he stated.

At the online press conference held on Saturday, the Operational Group was asked about whether those who fail to observe the more stringent rules relating to the wearing of face masks in effect from Monday will be fined by the police immediately, and whether the police are participating in the enforcement of visiting bans.

Mr Lakatos highlighted that the police have not given fines immediately to date either. The law on minor offences allows police officers to deliberate regarding the sanction to be imposed in response to one offence or another, these sanctions ranging from an onsite fine to prosecution. He recalled that also in the spring they regularly reported how many citizens had been cautioned due to non-compliance with the protective rules.

Mr Lakatos drew attention to the fact that it is now the duty not only of citizens and the police to observe and to enforce the regulations. Operators and public transport companies will also be held accountable. The police will give them support, on the one hand by checking compliance with the protective measures as part of their normal daily duties and on the other by taking the necessary measures in response to calls from institutions, operators or public transport companies.

The head of the duty centre of the Operational Group said – the same as before – the police will not check compliance with visiting bans imposed in social institutions and hospitals.

In all institutions it is the responsibility of the heads and workers of institutions to ensure that these rules are observed by everyone, Mr Lakatos pointed out.

At the beginning of the press conference, Spokesperson of the National Police Constabulary Kristóf Gál recalled that three months ago, on 17 June they said goodbye at the end of the series of daily press conferences with the message that if warranted by the epidemic situation they will return.

In the present phase of the coronavirus epidemic, they will again inform members of the public about the latest data and the most important information and will answer the questions of journalists as part of online press conferences, the spokesperson said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister / MTI)