Hungary will begin easing lockdown restrictions on Wednesday after inoculating more than 1 / 4 of its population with at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban mentioned Tuesday.
The decision comes as Hungary faces a devastating surge within the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has one of the highest infection rates in Europe in recent weeks and the third-worst demise rate per 1 million inhabitants in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In a video posted on Fb, Orban mentioned the nation reached the benchmark of 2.5 million first injections, a condition for the start of a gradual reopening.
“Today, we reached an important milestone,” Orban mentioned.
“The virus waged a war against us, and the only weapon that promises victory is the vaccine.”
Beginning Wednesday, businesses, and services that have been closed since March 8 will be allowed to reopen, provided capacity limits are enforced and social distancing is noticed.
The mandatory closing time for shops shall be extended from 7 pm to 9:30 pm.
The beginning of an overnight curfew in place since November will be prolonged by two hours to 10 pm
Hungary, with a population of less than 10 million, has the second-highest vaccination rate within the EU.
The nation’s procurement strategy sought shots from China and Russia, in addition to the jabs accepted by the bloc’s regulator.
“Hungary will be and will be the European nation where everyone gets a vaccine the fastest,” Orban mentioned.
