Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will decide on further measures necessary after the restrictions on movement expire on Saturday in light of all relevant considerations, taking expert advice into consideration, the Minister of State for International Communication and Relations-Head of the Communications Task Force stressed on the public service television news channel M1 on Wednesday.
Zoltán Kovács added that data and also personal perception show that on Wednesday there was traffic on the streets almost similar to that of a normal day, and “this is not a good sign”.
In the past few days, the order related to compliance with the restrictions on movement has loosened up, and “this will probably be reflected in numbers as well,” he said. The Minister of State pointed out that, prior to the expiry on Saturday of the restrictions on movement introduced two weeks ago, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will make a decision on “the final measures” in light of all relevant considerations, taking expert advice into consideration.
This is a very difficult task, he observed in reference to the Easter holiday.
Mr Kovács recalled that the Wednesday cabinet meeting had also been attended – at the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – by Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony and Károly Szita, President of the Alliance of County-Ranked Cities, who shared their views regarding the present situation and the necessary measures.
Mr Karácsony recommended the extension of the restrictions on movement by another month, while Mr Szita “wouldn’t mind tighter regulations,” he said.
“We must take all these opinions into consideration,” Mr Kovács continued, pointing out that it is understandable that several smaller municipalities, including some in the Balaton region, are trying to talk people out of visiting their settlements during the holidays.
The Minister of State also observed that while the government has been thinking in terms of cooperation right from the beginning, the opposition was not willing to take part in the adoption of a joint decision about the special legal order and the necessary economic measures.