The government has decided that new protection measures will take effect on Monday

Using a mask

As of Monday, the proper use of masks will no longer be mandatory not only in public transport and in shops, but also in public areas of shopping malls, cinemas, theaters, museums, libraries, as well as in institutions of health and social assistance, public services and postal customer services. Proper use of the mask means that the mask should also cover the mouth and nose. Another important change is that you really have to wear a mask, it is not enough to cover your mouth with a scarf or a shawl, for example. The official pricing for PCR tests and the 23-hour open limit for music and dance events, catering and entertainment venues will also go into effect on Monday. Of course, the ban on events of more than 500 people will continue. According to the government’s decision, as of October 1, anyone, regardless of age, can request the flu vaccine for free.

Failure to comply with the mask obligation will result in more severe penalties. Those who do not wear a mask will be able to make the delivery from the public transport vehicle and will also be fined up to 50,000 HUF.

The sanction can be even more severe if the person in question interrupts public transport without cooperation, in which case police action can be taken against them and they can be sanctioned with blocking.

The regulations regarding the obligation to wear a mask, in the case of shops, cinemas and shopping centers, can be verified by the commercial authority, in all other places by the government office and by the police anywhere. Adherence to the mask is also the responsibility of the theater operators of stores and shopping centers. If the operator detects that someone is not wearing a mask, the offender may be required to wear a mask, if not yet wearing a mask, they should be required to remove themselves and may be denied service. The operator can only be sanctioned if he does nothing against the infraction. In this case, the commercial authority may impose sanctions on the company in several stages during the inspection or after notifying the police. The first time you apply a warning, the second time you impose a fine of 100,000 guilders to 1 million guilders, the third time you can temporarily close the shop or hall for a period of at least 3 days and a maximum of one year .

Measurement of body temperature in schools and kindergartens

Starting October 1, employees and students can enter kindergartens, schools and vocational training institutions only after measuring body temperature. A child with a fever should be separated immediately and the parents notified. The parent accompanying the child to the kindergarten, school or other adult can enter the premises of the institution up to the point of body temperature measurement if he wears a mask that constantly covers the nose and mouth.

Rules for nightclubs

From week to week, restaurants and entertainment venues may be open until 11:00 p.m. and the 500-person limit will still apply. A musical or dance event that takes place indoors or in a non-enclosed space, regardless of its public or non-public nature and its occasional or regular nature, can be held if the number of people present at the event venue, including the employees there, it is not more than 500 people and can last up to 23 hours.

Starting Monday, PCR tests will have an official price.

The official price of 19,500 HUF for profitable PCR tests will also go into effect on Monday. Here it is important to know that at present almost 600,000 PCR tests have been carried out in Hungary, most of them completely free, at the expense of the state. For potential coronavirus infections, PCR tests requested by your GP, hospitals, or epidemiological authority remain free. So you only have to pay for the test if you decide that you want to test yourself or go back to the official home quarantine with 2 negative PCR tests when you return from abroad. The healthcare provider may charge a maximum price of HUF 19,500, which includes the cost of sampling and analysis, and no additional costs may be charged.

Cover Image: Akos Stiller / Bloomberg via Getty Images