 Hungary
may have to tighten lockdown as COVID cases jump, PM says
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[February 26, 2021]
BUDAPEST (Reuters) -
Hungary may have to tighten lockdown curbs as coronavirus infections are
expected to rise "drastically" in the next two weeks, Prime Minister
Viktor Orban said on Friday, as the daily tally of new infections jumped
to 4,668, the highest this year.
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 Orban also said all the 2.5 million to 2.6 million Hungarians who
have registered for COVID-19 vaccinations so far would receive at
least one dose by Easter, in early April.
Orban, speaking on state radio, said he hoped to get vaccinated with
a shot developed by China's Sinopharm early next week.
He said travel outside Europe, including on business, must be
radically limited. He flagged "very strict travel rules" to be
worked out, and depending on the pace of new infections in coming
days he said a tightening of restrictions could become necessary.
Hungary could also modify its vaccination strategy in order to have
as many people as possible inoculated with at least one dose of a
vaccine, Surgeon General Cecilia Muller told a briefing.
"With almost all the vaccines, protection of 50 to 75% has been
registered already after the first shot. This is important as this
is almost enough to prevent a serious disease," she said, adding the
South African variant of COVID has also been detected in Hungary.
Muller said Hungary could also consider modifying the age limit on
the AstraZeneca vaccine, which in Hungary is currently offered to
people below 60.
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 Nearby Poland said on Friday it
would raise the upper age limit for people being
given the AstraZeneca shot to 69.
The teachers' union PDSZ called on the
government to close all primary schools and
nurseries.
The government has extended a partial lockdown
until March 15. All secondary schools have been
closed since Nov. 11, as have hotels and
restaurants except for takeaway meals.
Hungary, with a population of around 10 million,
has reported 419,182 cases since the start of
the pandemic, with 14,795 deaths.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Tom
Hogue, Lincoln Feast and Nick Macfie.)
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