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The operations court announced in a press conference Thursday that the government will extend the obligation to wear a mask to entertainment and hospitality venues starting Monday. Even that day, the government’s decision to extend the mandatory wearing of masks appeared in the Hungarian Gazette.
Viktor Orbán qualified this decision in his radio interview on Friday morning that a new world of controls on the use of masks will begin on Monday.
Until now, the police have asked, explained, now it is punishable and voila.
“I see the key to wearing a mask. The situation and the infection rates make us consider the end of the habituation period. The mask must be worn. “The police have the right to close the restaurant, including cultural and sporting events. This moment has come,” the prime minister explained.
The new rules
Regarding the mandatory use of masks, the decree published on Thursday establishes:
- At the venue of the dance and music event, as defined in Section 6 (3) – (5), and
- When working in a catering business according to the Government Decree on the conditions for carrying out commercial activities, or as a guest
You must wear a medical mask, a safety mask or a mask made of tissue or other material (hereinafter together: mask) in such a way that it permanently covers your nose and mouth.
It is also included in the regulations that in a store where restoration is also carried out as an auxiliary activity, it is not necessary to wear the mask during the period of consumption of the food and beverages purchased there.
There are also more detailed rules on how to wear a mask:
- (3) A person staying as a guest in a catering shop, with the exception of paragraph (4), is required to wear a mask in the manner specified in Section 1 (1).
- (4) A person who is staying as a guest in a catering shop
- (a) sit at a table in a caterer, or
- b) If the food or drink purchased in the catering shop can be consumed not only sitting at a table, you are not obliged to wear the mask only during the period of consumption of the food or drink.
- (5) The person who does not wear the mask at the request of the catering operator or the employee of the catering operator in the manner specified in Section 1 (1) will be excluded by the operator from the visit and must ensure that this person: leaves a catering business.
The wording of the sanctions has also changed. If the commercial authority becomes aware of a breach of the mask obligation during an inspection or after notifying the police,
- a) use a warning,
- b) impose a fine of between HUF 100,000 and HUF 100,000, or
- (c) temporarily close the store or premises for a period of at least one day and a maximum of one year.
The commercial authority may impose the sanction under paragraph 1 (b) and (c) together, the regulation establishes.
The current sanctioning rules are:
- (a) issue a warning in the event of a first breach of the obligation,
- b) in the event of a second breach of the obligation, impose a fine of between 100,000 HUF and 1,000,000 HUF,
- c) in case of a third breach of the obligation, temporarily close the store or premises for a period of at least 3 days and a maximum of one year,
- d) as of the fourth breach of the obligation, the business or premises may be temporarily closed for a number of days equal to the number of times the breach occurs, for a maximum period of one year.
In other words, according to our interpretation, as of Monday there will be no ordinances and buildings for violating the rules, nor is the immediate imposition of a fine ruled out.
This can be a serious handicap when someone comes up that they are not wearing a mask, and Viktor Orbán may have suggested this when he said: the new world will arrive on Monday.
The regulation is also complemented by the rule that the police are designated as the commercial authority, can carry out inspections and can also apply the above legal consequences.
That is why we need more rigor
It is also worth noting that although a new world of sanctions is being used in Hungary for the use of masks, this means an extension of the existing measure, not new selective epidemiological measures, the government is refraining from taking more selective measures for the moment. can still bear the load.
Meanwhile, neighboring countries (as well as Germany and France) have embarked on a path of tougher measures. Stores were closed in Poland and the Czech Republic and a curfew was imposed in Slovakia. In Austria, on Tuesday, all events except professional sports will be banned, theaters, museums, swimming pools and gyms will be closed and restaurants will only be able to receive deliveries.
Therefore, the government is not embarking on this path because it argues that the health system and hospital capabilities can serve patients. Meanwhile, according to the latest data, all indicators show the acceleration of the epidemic in Hungary, the number of hospitalized people is already approaching 4,500 and more than 300 are on ventilators.
Cover Image Source: MTI / Prime Minister’s Press Office / Benko Vivien Cher
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