Economy 6 April 2020, 9:10am

Hungary COVID-19 cases rise to 744

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The confirmed number of people infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Hungary has increased to 744, and another four elderly patients with the disease have passed away, the official government website said Monday morning. The number of people recovered has increased to 67.

The daily number of new infections was 11 on Sunday, the lowest in nearly three weeks.

The four victims, three men and a woman, were all elderly and has other underlying diseases.

As for the geographical distribution of infections, four of the 11 new cases were diagnosed in Budapest, which typically has the highest number of infections, with two each in Tolna and Csongrád county.

We are in the stage of cluster infections, and the virus is spreading through the country via personal contact, the government website warns, adding that the virus can be present anywhere and in anyone.

The actual number of carriers of the virus, who are capable of infecting others, is much higher than the number of confirmed cases, authorities warn. To slow down the spread of the disease, it is very important that the elderly, students, those returning from abroad, and anyone else able to do so should stay at home. Everyone must also follow the government’s recommendations and adhere to the movement restrictions, the government website said, adding that the people of Budapest should especially abide by the restrictions because the capital has the highest number of infected.

Data collected on the deceased so far indicate that the coronavirus is most dangerous to the elderly, who are therefore asked to stay at home and seek help with shopping from relatives or their local government.