Hungary’s timely response measures to the novel coronavirus outbreak have successfully slowed the virus’s spread, and the country is ready to embark on a gradual reopening of the economy early next month, the innovation and technology minister has said.
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office said the decision to order hospitals to vacate 50% of their beds and have 8,000 functioning ventilators ready had been a “strictly professional one”, adding that the government was prepared for a worst-case scenario.
Hungary “has not received any additional funding” from the European Union for measures in connection with the novel coronavirus epidemic, an innovation and technology ministry official said.
The European Commission has approved a draft of an amendment of a government decree on groundwork for the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant, János Süli, the minister without portfolio in charge of the project, said.
Three crossing points have re-opened for commuters at the Hungarian-Serbian border, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook.
Mercedes-Benz will gradually restart production at its car plant in Kecskemét, in central Hungary, from April 28.
The Commission has adopted a proposal for a €3 billion macro-financial assistance (MFA) package to ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners to help them to limit the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
Suzuki will reopen its car plant in Esztergom, northern Hungary, on April 29, the company said.
Contribution by Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank, published by Politico on 21 April 2020.
During the novel coronavirus epidemic, preserving jobs and restarting the economy has to take precedence over a “rigid insistence” to keep the budget deficit below 3%, Finance Minister Mihály Varga has told public Kossuth Rádió.
