The police are continuously monitoring compliance with the extraordinary measures, a staff member of the duty centre of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus infection said at an online press conference held on Wednesday.

Police Lt. Colonel Róbert Kiss said the police are monitoring compliance with restrictions on movement, the limited opening hours of shops and the rules of compulsory home quarantine.

The extraordinary measures introduced so far have contributed to enhancing the efficiency of the effort to contain the epidemic, and to reducing the number of infections; therefore, these will be kept in place until the end of the state of danger, he said.

He said also on Wednesday morning three flights arrived at Liszt Ferenc Airport, and they are expecting another three during the course of the day, delivering medical face masks, special medical face masks, overalls and raw materials necessary for the production of face masks to Budapest. Based on the Operational Group’s instruction, these individual protective supplies will be distributed primarily among health care workers.

From among the responsibilities of the police, he mentioned the cautioning of persons due to congregating in public places. He said, according to their experiences, the majority of those congregating cooperate with police officers upon being cautioned; however, there have been instances when the police had to take some other action. Since the introduction of restrictions on movement, 1,128 police actions have been taken, including 956 instances of cautioning, 49 onsite fines, and prosecution in 123 cases.

Compulsory home quarantine has been ordered in 9,679 cases, and compliance with the rules relating to the relevant restrictions has been checked 71,350 times. Experiences show that most people observe the rules of compulsory home quarantine; charges have been pressed in 322 cases.

Regarding the restrictions on retail opening hours, he said they have cautioned 39 shop owners, have imposed onsite fines in 25 cases and have prosecuted 61 persons.

In the context of border traffic, he announced that from midnight they had introduced relief measures: commuters may use all open border crossing points on the Austrian-Hungarian border section. With this measure, they are seeking to make it possible for people to go to work. Regarding the Slovak border section, he said the border crossing points at Vámosszabadi, Somoskőújfalu, Bánréve and Sátoraljaújhely previously only open to passenger traffic are now also open to cargo traffic. However, in international transit traffic, only the Rajka, Parassapuszta and Tornyosnémeti border crossing points continue to remain available to heavy goods vehicles. At the same time, Mr Kiss pointed out that a condition of commuting is that upon entry into the country workers must present valid employer certificates or must be able to verify title or usufruct to landed property under cultivation.

Delays are expected in cargo traffic on the entry side at Tompa and Ártánd, while on the exit side at Csanádpalota where there are delays in passenger traffic as well, he said.

He reported that in connection with the epidemic they have prosecuted 112 persons, 23 due to fraud, 10 due the violation of disease control regulations, 19 due to the threat of public danger, and 27 due to scaremongering. So far they have heard 32 suspects in the criminal proceedings under way.

In answer to the question as to whether the Operational Group will recommend to the capital and other cities to make parking free, thereby discouraging people from using public transport, he said the competence of the Operational Group is determined in a government decree, and it is not entitled to make parking free. It cannot change the regulations relating to parking, only local governments have the authority to do so.

In answer to another question, he pointed out that, based on the local government legislation, local governments were required to take care of the elderly who were not able to take care of themselves; they sincerely hope that local governments are fulfilling their duties.

Regarding the supply of health care institutions with protective gear, he said consignments are arriving on an ongoing basis, and once the products arrive, the Operational Group takes care of their warehousing and fulfils the related logistic tasks. At the same time, they take action within the shortest possible time to ensure that these supplies to reach institutions. Also on Tuesday, deliveries to hospitals were continuous, and based on the reports of hospital commanders, protective supplies are being distributed to health care workers on an ongoing basis.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)