COVID-19: 856 new confirmed cases, 93 deaths in Hungary
Local authorities registered 856 people with coronavirus infection over the past 24 hours, which is a lower figure than in the previous days. The seven-day moving average is around 1,700.
93 people dies from coronavirus-related diseases, the lowest number we've seen since 23 November.
Whereas the number of new daily confirmed cases has been dropping for weeks, the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals hs been up for two consecutive days (by 48 yesterday and by 90 the day before that). The number of patients requiring artificial ventilation has been hovering around 400 for a couple of days now.
Authorities performed 8,700 tests over the last 24 hours, which is not a very high number. The share of tests that came back positive dropped to under 10%. The chart below shows that the positivity rate has been hovering between 10% and 20% over the past few days, but an epidemic is under control when the rate is below 5%.
Overall, the data suggest that the restriction measures maintained even during the holidays and the winter break in schools helped curb the spread of the virus. At the same time, the number of new cases and fatalities remains high. We'll see in a couple of weeks how the Christmas family gatherings, New Years Eve parties, the resumption of (physical) teaching in schools (in 8th grade and below), and people getting back to their workplace will change the trend of the current pandemic in Hungary.
Cover photo: Getty Images
