Economy 2 September 2020, 9:28am

COVID-19: Hungary records new all-time high in daily confirmed cases

Portfolio

Hungarian authorities confirmed 365 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on Tuesday, increasing the total since March to 6,622, the official government website said. Three elderly patients have died, taking the death toll to 619, while 3,903 patients have recovered. The number of active cases went up to 2,100. Budapest accounted for 45% of active cases, 60% of the deceased and 42% of recovered patients. There are currently 98 people infected with coronavirus in hospitals, of whom seven require artificial ventilation.

The latest data confirm that coronavirus is spreading in Hungary at an accelerated rate. The number of new confirmed cases jumped to 365. The previous record was reached on 30 August at 292.

Whereas the number of coronavirus-related fatalities remain low, we should note that the last time three patients died from the infection was more than three weeks ago. As the number of confirmed cases go up, the death toll will also rise, although this impact may be muted by the fact that more young people get affected this time than in the spring and patients are also treated with more experience than before.

Hungary's prospects in respect of COVID-19 are not rosy. The border closure will not help a lot - particularly if the cabinet keeps granting exemptions to select countries on political rather than epidemiological considerations - and the start of the school year will lead to a greater number of social interactions. Gergely Röst, fellow researcher in mathematics at the University of Szeged, told Portfolio in an interview on Monday that the basic reproduction number of the coronavirus has been over 1 for some time now in Hungary and is currently estimated to be between 2.0 and 2.5. This is why it is vital for people to adhere to regulations (wear face masks, keep distance, wash hands). If the current restrictive measures proved insufficient to tame the spread of the virus, new lockdown measures could be implemented that could have serious economic consequences again.

The government portal pointed out that a second wave in the pandemic emerged in Europe, and as the number of new confirmed cases go up Hungary has tightened travel rules. Well, it has officially closed its borders, except for Czech, Polish and Slovak citizens who have negative COVID-19 tests not older than five days. The EU Commissioner for Justice has already warned that border regulations are discriminatory and need to be retracted.

The portal also highlights the responsibility of parents and teachers now that the school year has started. Sick and symptomatic children must not be allowed into the community, it says. Meanwhile, news portal 444.hu reports that teachers and parents had to clean and disinfect various schools before the start of the semester. Several schools complained that they have not received soaps and disinfectants promised by the government even by Saturday, and one requested a new cleaning lady in vain for the operator said it cannot contract with a new one until it receives the death certificate of the one who had died.

With the number of active cases on the rise it is crucial to remain disciplined and keep general hygiene rules, the government portal says, recommending to avoid closed spaces, especially if they are crowded, keep distance, wash hands regularly and thoroughly, and wear mask in stores and on public transport.

The number of active cases jumped to 2,100 on Tuesday. The highest number in the first wave in the spring was 2,054, so we have a new record here as well. Additionally, the number of daily new confirmed cases suggests that the number of active cases will rise even further. Considering the natural delay in the delivery of test results and the ratio of latent cases it is almost 100% that the number of infected people is in the tens of thousands. This also means that we are more likely to meet people that carry the virus therefore it is more vital to wear a mask (covering the mouth AND the nose) than ever before.

As for the geographical distribution of new cases, about half of them were recorded in the capital city and some two thirds in Central Hungary, but there are hardly no counties without new cases. On Tuesday, Baranya and Heves counties were the lucky ones in this respect.