In accordance with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s announcement, the restrictions on movement introduced in Budapest due to the coronavirus epidemic will be lifted at midnight on Sunday, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Gergely Gulyás said in the capital the relaxed rules introduced in the countryside from 4 May will take effect, as part of which – wherever possible – persons will be required to keep a safe distance of one and a half metres from others.

The Minister thanked residents of Budapest for observing the restrictions on movement in a disciplined manner over an extended period. At the same time, he underlined that compliance with the less stringent measures now introduced is equally important.

He confirmed that if the trend of the epidemic remains unchanged, at the end of May, the government will ask Parliament to withdraw the government’s special mandate.

Mr Gulyás said two weeks ago the government only lifted restrictions in the countryside because both infections and fatalities were highly concentrated in Budapest.

In the past few days also in Budapest more persons have recovered than have fallen ill, and as a result – while the number of infected persons is still the highest in the capital – the number of active patients has fallen significantly, he added.

He stressed that the government had consulted with everyone in order to adopt a responsible decision. They consulted mayors, virology experts and physicians. “Instead of undignified debates, we need responsible decisions,” he stated.

He said the decree on the lifting of restrictions in Budapest will be released on Saturday.

Based on this, in Budapest, too, the wearing of face masks will be compulsory in shops and on public transport in the interest of preventing the spread of the infection.

Public areas, parks and outdoor playgrounds will reopen to visitors from Monday.

Also in the capital the rule will remain in effect that between 9.00 a.m. and noon only persons over 65 will be allowed to attend food stores, personal hygiene stores and pharmacies, while everyone else will only be allowed to shop in these stores outside the stated hours, Mr Gulyás said, adding that local governments and district local governments in the capital can determine different hours for markets.

The Minister underlined that from Monday all shops may reopen to customers, services will be available without restrictions, and the gardens and terraces of restaurants may reopen in the capital.

He also highlighted that from Monday until 1 September restaurants and other catering establishments would not be required to pay a fee for using public premises in relation to terraces as they had already sustained enormous losses this year.

Similar to open-air museums and zoos, bathing facilities and outdoor baths will be allowed to reopen.

Operators will be required to guarantee the conditions that enable customers to keep a safe distance from one another, the Minister recalled.

Church services, civil weddings and funerals will also be allowed to be held. Mr Gulyás recalled that in the countryside weddings with a maximum attendance of 200 hundred may be held from 1 June. In Budapest, this will be possible even in hotels and restaurants from 15 June.

He said from Monday universities, too, may reopen in Budapest; however, this is subject to the rector’s decision in every institution who must ensure the observance of the rule relating to safe distancing. Mr Gulyás observed that the residential facilities of higher education institutions will remain closed.

(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)