Hungary’s lockdown rules to be in effect until May 3, as govt plans ‘restart of economy’

The Hungarian government will decide next week on the future of lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, as Budapest prepares for a restart of the economy, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said on Thursday.

Current lockdown rules will be in effect until May 3, and a new set of rules will be implemented thereafter to incrementally allow the economy to get back to normal, Gergely Gulyas said.

The new set of restrictions after May 3 will ensure that those who are the most endangered by the virus are protected when economic activity is recommenced, Gulyas said. The restart of the economy can only be done “gradually and according to a strict schedule,” the official added.

Orban is expected to present the restart plan on May 3-4, by which time, he said, Hungary would be prepared to handle any rise in infections. The country has 2,284 confirmed infections and more than 200 deaths, according to Reuters.