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Government statements in recent days show that instead of restrictions, the focus is on the country’s viability in protecting against viruses. Although basic and general safety measures must be followed (use of a mask, social distancing), life can practically continue in the ordinary course. Thus, schools will not close and the tourism and hospitality sector, unlike before, will not close. The government, together with the Hungarian people, set the standards for the defense: the opinion of the almost 1.8 million respondents who completed the National Consultation was decisive.
It is already clear that the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic needs to be approached in a fundamentally different way than the first. Gergely GulyásThe Minister in charge of the Prime Minister explained this by saying that with the closure of the border, the government cut the supply lines of the virus and the strength of the virus was less than before. The head of the ministry outlined the new defense scenario, but the details Viktor Orban unveiled by the Prime Minister in an extraordinary interview with M1.
The country cannot stop
From the statements of government actors so far it is clear that instead of restrictions, the emphasis is on the country’s functioning in protection against the virus. “Flexibility, the ability to act, is the most important thing. Now we have to set the course for decisions that are clear: the country must work!” – issued the password to the prime minister.
But what does that mean? As it emerged from the previous ones, In the second phase of the epidemic, after the protection of human lives, the most important objective is to preserve the viability of the Hungarian economy. Therefore, the tourism and catering sector cannot stop and schools cannot close.
In fact, if this happened, it would have serious economic consequences for the country. That is why the Prime Minister called for the protection of jobs to be paramount and promised to create more new jobs. According to him, there is only one problem area, and that is tourism in Budapest, since almost 100 percent of the visitors are foreigners. At the same time, he sees that the capital can help hotels, caterers and taxi drivers out of the 100 billion florins reserved for this purpose.
It also appears that, in addition to preserving the functioning of the economy, the protection of Hungarian families will be another important element of defense. According to the government, maintaining their standard of living during the second wave of the epidemic is a priority. That is why since October 1 a newly established ministry, Katalin Novák serve as Minister without Family Portfolio in charge of family affairs. With this, the protection of Hungarian families will play an even more important role in the work of the government.
And it is clear from the statements of the main Cabinet politicians that
There will be no radical course change in the field of defense, because it is not even necessary.
“We are prepared for all scenarios, if everyone follows the rules, we will protect the lives of the elderly, the standard of living of families will not fall and the country will function” – summarized on Saturday Viktor Orbán, who said With a disciplined attitude it is possible to protect the life of the Hungarian people and the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy at the same time, one does not exclude the other.
Defense changes
How will the country defend itself in the second phase of the epidemic? As the Prime Minister has said, the government does not want to introduce restrictions such as the first wave period (curfew, school closings, etc.), but basic and general security measures must continue to be respected. So
- social distance,
- wearing a mask, and
- prohibition of visits to hospitals and social institutions.
Masking will play a key role, as If everyone wears their protective gear properly, the chances of spreading the virus are significantly reduced. Therefore, from now on, those who do not use it indoors can expect a serious fine. And merchants can expect an even harsher penalty: They will receive a fine for the first offense, a warning for the second, and close their store for the third time.“Guided by the common interest, we make decisions and want to enforce them, not just for ourselves” – formulated by the Prime Minister, emphasizing that everyone is responsible for everyone.
In addition to general safety rules, government action has been taken in some areas. Beginning October 1, those entering educational institutions will have their body temperature measured and parents will still not be able to enter schools. However, the government does not consider the closure of schools justified, so the issue is not currently on the agenda. And on the closure of bars and discos after eleven at night, the prime minister said that “there are more issues to discuss.”
Another important difference from the previous period is that, given that the number of daily infections is expected to be higher worldwide, the new measure will be the number of deaths. According to the government, a successful defense means a low number of deaths. In this, Hungary is performing spectacularly well, with much worse indicators (in proportion to population) in most European countries. The goal, then, is (still) to reduce the number of deaths during the second wave of the epidemic. The prime minister already said in his radio interview on Friday and on M1 on Saturday night that medical care is ready for the second wave, no one will be left unattended now.
The National Consultation was the line leader
As has been said in various places, the National Consultation has led to a shift in emphasis in the fight against the epidemic. As is well known, the government asked Hungarians for the ninth time, this time focusing on issues related to the coronavirus. The cabinet specifically asked citizens what government measures they would support in the event of a second wave. Among other things, it was possible to mark the introduction of curfew restrictions, the imposition of distancing, the ordering of masks, the closure of national borders, the closure of educational institutions and the restriction of events. In addition to this question, eight additional questions related to coronavirus were substituted in the consultation.
According to the aggregated results, 1,793,000 people completed the questionnaires, which the government considered an adequate basis for future actions. “We held a National Consultation in the summer and learned from it how the Hungarian people would like to implement the defense process. I am much calmer and more confident than in the spring,” Viktor Orbán said on M1, adding that
respondents hope that the country will remain viable and not stagnate.
The prime minister is also calmer than before because “they were able to fully prepare the health system for the second wave.”
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