Economy 27 August 2020, 3:55pm

Two Hungarian ministers placed in quarantine after contact with confirmed case

Portfolio

István Hollik, communications director for the governing Fidesz party, has been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), the daily Magyar Nemzet reported on Wednesday. Gergely Gulyás, Minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, and his deputy, Balázs Orbán, have been quarantined, probably as a result of contact with Hollik.

Hollik said he does not know where he contracted the virus as he has not been abroad and has observed all virus defence regulations, according to his Facebook post.

Gulyás and Orbán have been placed under quarantine on Wednesday after attending a private event last Saturday where another guest later tested positive.

A coronavirus test on Gulyás on Wednesday came back negative, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement today. He will not be able to attend Friday’s cabinet session or hold the subsequent Kormányinfó press conference unless he also tests negative on Friday.

In related news, Justice Minister Judit Varga will work in home quarantine as of Thursday after contact with an infected person, Varga said on her Facebook page. the contact person was likely Hollik at the same event last weekend.

Varga has not experienced any symtpoms and tested negative this morning.

There has been a recent spike of new cases in Hungary, and the government is holding a session tomorrow to discuss the introduction of potential measures.

Cover photo: MTI / Zoltán Máthé