Coronavirus – Police ready to fulfil curfew-related duties

Hungary’s police force is ready to fulfil its duties concerning the curfew restrictions entering into effect from Saturday, the operative board coordinating the response to the novel coronavirus epidemic said on Friday.

The police will aim to encourage people to comply with the restrictions by imposing “reassuring, helpful and empathetic” measures in public spaces, Robert Kiss, an official of the board’s emergency centre, told an online press conference.

• BREAKING NEWS – Coronavirus – Orbán announces curfew restriction between March 28 and April 11
• Coronavirus – Hungary confirmed infections reach 300

Cecília Müller, the chief medical officer, told the same press conference that the measures served to protect the entire population.

The curfew is meant to further slow the spread of the virus and to protect groups most vulnerable to it, she said.

With the state of emergency ordered on March 11 coming to an end, restrictions on shops will be changing, he noted. Kiss said the authorities had fined 25 shop owners for violating the restrictions and filed misdemeanour charges against 44.

Police are still patrolling traffic at the border, he noted, adding that some border crossings were dealing with minor congestions.

In response to a question, he said Hungary could theoretically import protective equipment from any part of the world but has so far only be able to from the East. The government is on the lookout for other options, he added.

Asked about Hungary’s supply of medical oxygen, Kiss said the operative board has made sure to delegate operative bodies comprising military personnel to the companies responsible for medical oxygen production.