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BUDAPEST, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Hungary's first shipment of
coronavirus vaccine is expected to arrive in late December or
early January, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on
Friday.
Orban said Hungary was talking to China and Russia about
vaccines and by the spring it could have access to two or three
different vaccines. From April the country was likely to be able
to "declare victory over the pandemic."
There is as yet no clinically proven vaccine against the
coronavirus, though nearly 200 candidates are in development
worldwide, and late-stage trial results are expected for the
first of them by the end of 2020.
Orban's government has refrained from imposing restrictions
on mass events so far, with schools operating as normal and
shops open. Soccer matches have been held with spectators in
stadiums nationwide.
Orban told radio that from Monday those violating rules on
wearing masks would face harsh penalties, with restaurants and
shops to be closed by authorities if necessary.
"I believe the key is to obey the existing rules... and that
masks must be worn," Orban said, adding that there were enough
hospital beds and ventilators to treat patients.
The National Medical Chamber called on the government on
Tuesday to limit the opening hours of restaurants, reintroduce
special shopping hours for the elderly as infections and the
number of hospitalized COVID patients is rising.
The government has not acted on these proposals. Orban is
seeking to avoid a repeat of a spring lockdown that sent the
economy crashing by 13.6% in the second quarter.
On Thursday, the number of cases in Hungary rose to 68,127,
with 56 new deaths taking the total toll to 1,634. There are
3,197 coronavirus patients in hospitals.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Himani Sarkar and John
Stonestreet)
