The current restrictive regulations imposed due to the coronavirus epidemic will remain in force until 3 May, Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office announced at an online press conference held on Thursday.

After 3 May, a new phase of containment will begin, and a new set of rules will have to be created which will be able to guarantee the protection of the elderly who are most at risk as well as the most infected large cities amidst appropriate conditions, while “allowing life and the economy to gradually return to normal,” he said.

The government will decide on the necessary changes at its meeting next Wednesday, the Minister said.

He highlighted that in international practice one may observe the relaxing of measures which the Hungarian government regards as premature as yet; for instance, allowing all students back to school is not timely yet. At the same time, the cabinet concluded that the preparedness of health care allows the implementation of the plan for restarting the Hungarian economy, but this could only take place gradually, based on a stringent timetable, Mr Gulyás pointed out.

The Minister said regarding 3 May that this is the earliest possible peak date, at which point the containment effort will have to be at the highest possible level. However, it is difficult to predict the exact peak date, he indicated, stressing that we will need to remain in a continuous state of health care preparedness in the next few weeks. He repeated that they are monitoring international practices, in particular, in Southern Germany and Austria.

He reported on the decision of the government that units of the defence forces, in consultation with the heads of institutions, will disinfect elderly care homes.

The Minister took also this opportunity to thank everyone who had contributed to enabling the health care system to be ready for the situation which had developed. The amount of time remaining until 3 May is enough for health care to also prepare for mass incidences, he added.

He said it is a purely medical-professional decision that, based on a worst-case scenario, 50 per cent of hospital beds must be vacated and 8,000 ventilators will have to be operational.

During the day, Minister for Innovation and Technology László Palkovics will make public the available mathematical model calculations, he observed.

He also drew attention to the fact that the Hungarian Parliament, in contrast to the parliaments of many other countries or the European Parliament, has been continuously in session since the beginning of the epidemic, the cabinet regularly informs Parliament about the status of the containment effort, and the opposition has had the opportunity to voice criticisms.

Mr Gulyás highlighted that, in the present situation, it is necessary to help those at home on maternity leave. Therefore, in their case, the government is contributing to the fee of the first successful language examination and the first higher-level foreign-language final examination, while the government is also providing a grant in connection with driving course and test fees. These measures concern 136,000 persons in total, he added.

He stressed that there is general agreement in Hungary that there is a need for the preservation of jobs and the creation of new ones due to the crisis. In the case of the Göd Samsung project, too, this is what guided the government; this is a development worth HUF 400 to 500 billion which is one of the largest in Hungary, he said, adding that the Göd factory is providing jobs for 1,600 persons at present, and will hire another 2,700.

He said, in this situation, the goal is to enable the implementation of as many projects as possible; however, they have not taken funds away from the settlement of Göd given that they can keep a share of the local trade tax. A responsible and justified decision was adopted which equally serves the best interests of the settlement, the region and the county, he stated.

The Minister said the solution opted for in Göd should be laid down in law. They do not take tax revenues away from the settlement; however, if a major project is implemented, for the purposes of which the government provided the necessary conditions, not only the given settlement should benefit from the locally generated tax revenues. At the same time, the tax proceeds will not become central tax revenues; local governments will continue to remain entitled to such revenues, he explained.

He mentioned that since 11 March, the number of registered job-seekers has risen by 51,000, while the number of vacant jobs has fallen to 44,000. With the winding down of the economy, and in particular trade, many people have lost their jobs. Therefore, the government will do everything it can to create new jobs, he stated, adding that the measures implemented have slowed down the cessation of jobs.

All conditions are given for the implementation of the final examinations – exclusively limited to written examinations – amidst safe circumstances from 4 May, Mr Gulyás said in answer to a question.

The Minister stressed that this is not a prestige question, and neither is it a political question. This is a purely professional question, and so the government has given Minister of State for Public Education Zoltán Maruzsa authorisation to engage in talks with all parties concerned, including the organisations of parents and students and trade unions. Appealing to the responsibility of these organisations, in light of their opinion, they should reassure everyone that the country will be able to organise this year’s final examinations even in the midst of an epidemic. Based on the government’s authorisation, the Minister of State for Public Education will be free to decide whether the necessary conditions are fully guaranteed, or if necessary to postpone examinations by two weeks, the Minister indicated.

He confirmed the rule remains that maximum ten students are allowed to be present in each room, and all supplies and equipment necessary for the containment of infection are available.

He also said those taking their final examinations in Austria qualify as cross-border commuters, and the related decision has been adopted in consultation with the Austrians which is both logical and expedient.

In answer to the question as to whether teachers will receive the ten per cent pay rise which Minister of Human Capacities Miklós Kásler announced before the epidemic, he said the government is not planning changes, and has made no other decision on the issue. This also applies to other sectors, he pointed out.

As to how long the “plateau phase” could last after the expected peak of the epidemic on 3 May, he said this could take weeks, and most model calculations appear to indicate that the virus will abate following a jagged pattern, meaning that there will be recurring minor peaks. As long as there is no vaccine, we must live together with the virus in one form or another, and there is also agreement – Hungarian virologists, too, see this as a likely outcome – that there could be a second phase in the autumn, sometime in September or October, the Minister said.

As to whether they are planning to make the wearing of face masks compulsory, he said the Operational Group has the competence to decide on this issue. This has not been required in general, and wherever such decisions have been made, they have been limited to public transport, shops and enclosed spaces.

The government will decide on the regulations relating to 1 May and the three-day long weekend next week, Mr Gulyás indicated, adding that he can well imagine that local governments will be given the same powers as in the case of earlier long weekends.

In answer to the question about the extent to which the government is satisfied with the work of Minister of Human Capacities Miklós Kásler and Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller, he said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is competent regarding the composition of the government. At this point in time, what they see is that the country is in the middle of a health care epidemic, and health care is fully prepared for the management of a crisis more severe than any other crises experienced in the past. At the same time, Mr Kásler is responsible for overseeing health care, he laid down.

In answer to another question, he said he is happy that the commissioner of the European Commission responsible for the area concerned – who is politically on the other side of the spectrum, was nominated by liberal parties and is often critical of Hungary – has acknowledged that the Hungarian measures are in line with EU law. This will, however, not end the debate yet as even in the past criticisms were not factually well-founded. They were based on a strong critical stance and hatred for the country and the government, he said.

The Minister was also asked about whether the fact that some websites associated with the opposition “which describe themselves as advertising agencies” are spreading fake news in the guise of reader comments poses a national security risk. Mr Gulyás said it does pose a risk, but he would rather not engage in the legal classification of this act. He appealed to everyone’s sense of responsibility, and said in a situation where the country is facing an epidemic, it is important to provide verified and fair information. The government is providing accurate and reliable data, he laid down.

In answer to a question regarding the possibility of summer holidays, the Minister said “we sincerely hope that also this summer we will be able to bathe in Lake Balaton”.

In the context of news reports claiming that a message attributed to József Skultéti, head of the Pesti út elderly care home may have been written on the computer of J. Zoltán Gál, who was Gergely Karácsony’s campaign chief in 2019, he said at this point all circumstances appear to indicate that Mr Gál believes himself to be authorised to write letters instead of heads of institutions regarding political matters.

He observed at the same time that it would be unsporting if during the period of the containment of the virus the capital and the government engaged in a political battle.

In answer to the question as to whether they are planning to take over coronavirus patients in a severe condition from other countries, he said at this time there are no such plans. Once the country is in a state that it can also help others, they will be happy to help anyone. This, however, can only take place in such a manner that it should not in any way jeopardise Hungarian people’s safety and health, he said.

Regarding the quality of protective supplies, he said most of the supplies are adequate and fit for use.

He observed that they had sent approximately two per cent of face masks to Hungarians beyond the borders and other countries.

He was unable to provide a precise number regarding the rate of infection among health care workers, but indicated that the Hungarian average conforms to the international which estimates infection among health care workers to be around ten per cent.

Regarding the return of physicians over 65 to health care, Government Spokesperson Alexandra Szentkirályi said this is not mandatory, but they would like to make this option available.

The head of the Prime Minister’s Office also said, after the epidemic, a debate should be held about whether the current forms of hospital financing are satisfactory or not.

Speaking about the economy, he said, due to the crisis, the government has assumed more than a hundred thousand forints in wage costs, and the relevant regulation has been amended after consultation with businesses. It is necessary to consult with businesses on an ongoing basis, and should the need arise, changes will have to be made. However, these grants at the current rate are a novel and effective tool for ensuing that the problems arising from unemployment should not be handled with benefits; instead efforts should be made to preserve as many jobs as possible, he said.

He also mentioned that the expected rate of inflation has not changed. They have made an important decision in the case of pensioners as at the time of a crisis, rather than taking away one month’s pension as others did, they will gradually give them back their 13th month pension. This, too, shows that the government does not envisage recovery from the crisis through austerity, he highlighted.

In answer to the question as to whether the possible extension of the term of job-seekers’ allowance has emerged, he said the cabinet believes that distributing benefits can only work as a last resort; they would like to help jobless people with work and jobs.

Ms. Szentkirályi pointed out in answer to a question about domestic violence that in this regard there is zero tolerance. The assistance options which serve to help those who find themselves in a difficult situation are also available now; for instance, victim assistance centres and crisis centres are fully operational also at this time, and several ministries are seeking to help the most vulnerable.

Mr Gulyás also spoke about the signature campaign of the Szekler National Council, and encouraged everyone to sign this civic initiative so that the one million signatures could be collected by the 7 May deadline.

(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)