We have entered a new phase in the epidemic containment effort; health care services will be gradually resumed, the Chief Medical Officer said at the Monday online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus epidemic.

Cecília Müller stressed that the epidemic was still ongoing which required more caution and the close monitoring of data; hence the change in the publication of information related to the epidemic on the koronavirus.gov.hu website. In addition to the total number of infections, they also provide information on the number of active cases and the number of recovered patients in a territorial breakdown.

She said on Monday the number of confirmed infected patients has risen to 3,035, while the number of active cases currently stands at 2,054. Active cases are those who qualify as “positive patients under treatment” at present, and their number does not include recovered patients and those who have died.

1,290 of the total 2,054 infected persons are from Budapest and Pest County, while 764 are from the provinces, meaning that the capital and Pest County continue to account for around 63 per cent of infections.

There are 319 recovered patients in Budapest and Pest County and 311 in the countryside. Those patients qualify as recovered who have been released from hospital with negative laboratory test results, and have not displayed symptoms for minimum three days. At the same time, those individuals are likewise regarded as recovered who did not display any symptoms of the disease during the fourteen-day compulsory home quarantine.

The number of fatalities currently stands at 351; all patients are recorded as having died in consequence of coronavirus infection who produced positive virus tests and died of any earlier existing conditions, the Chief Medical Officer said.

She added that the situation had become more balanced; the daily number of new infections as well as the daily number of fatalities have not risen significantly for around a week.

Ms. Müller also highlighted that health care services would be resumed gradually; however, the pre-epidemic situation will not yet be restored at this time. In order for anyone to see their general practitioner, they must ask for an appointment by telephone, patients will only be allowed to enter outpatient surgeries with prior appointments, and GPs will be allowed to see maximum 4 patients an hour, she said.

She asked patients to continue to arrange any services that do not require face-to-face interaction by telephone or electronically. She mentioned as examples the issuance of various medical certificates, recommendations and other documents.

She added that the present changes primarily concerned general practitioner, paediatric general practitioner, health care visitor and basic dental care, outpatient care, including diagnostic and dental services, day-surgery, rehabilitation and transplantation interventions as well as private health care services not financed by the state centrally.

In answer to a question, Ms. Müller said the coronavirus is present in 30 elderly care homes; in the Kamaraerdei út elderly care home, 33 residents and 9 workers have become infected with the virus.

In total, 79 persons have died in social care institutions due to coronavirus infection.

In answer to another question from the press, she pointed out that the visiting ban continued to remain in effect in hospitals and social institutions.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister / MTI)