Hungary ‘assessing option of national lockdown,’ PM Orban tells parliament

Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungary’s lawmakers on Monday that his government is weighing up the option of a national lockdown to combat coronavirus. Orban’s cabinet has sought to raise emergency powers it says are needed to tackle the outbreak.

“We are considering this option, and what option specifically would make the most sense,” Reuters quoted the PM as saying. “Different countries have adopted different approaches: a curfew does not mean that nobody can leave their house, that is not needed and would not be possible,” he said.

The country has so far reported 167 confirmed cases of coronavirus and seven deaths, but the PM said the real number of infections was probably much greater.

The government in Budapest will extend further help to small business owners to help them weather the economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and it will suspend evictions, according to Orban.