Orbán to Meet Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki and Matteo Salvini, Head of Italy’S Lega
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PM APRIL 1, 2021 EDITORS: [email protected] WWW.HUNGARYMATTERS.HU AFTERNOON ISSUE PHOTO OF THE DAY UPCOMING EVENTS Coronavirus updates Orbán to meet Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki and Matteo Salvini, head of Italy’s Lega Easter celebrations MTI/Tamás Vasvári Man receives Moderna coronavirus shot at a mobile vaccination facility TOP STORY ORBÁN: VACCINATION ONLY WAY TO STOP VIRUS Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that vaccination was the only way to stop the coronavirus epidemic, adding that restrictions could only slow down the pandemic. Orbán told public news channel M1 that the third wave was triggered by the British virus variant which is more aggressive than previous variants and is spreading faster. As long as infections were isolated cases, lockdown and staying at home helped but the current mass infection cannot be stopped, only slowed down with the help of the lockdown and restrictions. “There is only one cure and there is only one way to stop it instead of simply slowing it down. It is the vaccines that can stop and kill the virus,” he said. It follows that all efforts should be focused on vaccination, he added. Orbán said that as of Wednesday, Hungary had enough vaccines for 2,011,029 people. Vaccines for 2,356,000 will be available by April 4 and for 4,121,000 by early May, he added. These volumes include both eastern and western vaccines, he said. Orbán said he expected that enough vaccine will be available by late May or early June to inoculate 7 million people. He expressed hope that all registered persons will have received their first shots by late April or early May. Hungary Matters is an English-language newsletter produced and distributed by the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) with content provided by Duna Media Service Provider exercises copyright over all content. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, redistributed or transmitted without prior written permission from the publisher, with the exception of copies made by individuals for private use, educational purposes or scholarly research, provided that such transmissions do not exceed the extent justified by the purpose and are not aimed at financial gain, even indirectly, and the source name are indicated at all times. All rights reserved. Enquiries should be made to the English Help Desk at +361 441 9340 For MTI’s real time coverage please visit http://english.mti.hu, http://econews.hu APRIL 1, 2021 AFTERNOON ISSUE PM people who listen to anti-vaxxers their first shots “over one week ahead” ORBÁN: HUNGARY CAN and then refuse to get vaccinated of the reopening of schools which is START REOPENING could easily die. Orbán said he could sufficient for a start. He said he could ‘SOMETIME AFTER EASTER’ understand that there were some who understand if some still refused to refused to get vaccinated but asked go to class but they should at least Two and a half million people will them at least not to discourage others not lobby against the reopening have received their first Covid shot from getting the jabs. of schools because children’s and “sometime after Easter”, which will parents’ interests should be respected open the door to a gradual reopening ORBÁN PRAISES HEALTH- and education in schools should be of the country, Prime Minister Viktor CARE SECTOR’S EFFORTS restarted without delay. Orbán said in an interview with public news channel M1. Schools will Commenting on Hungary’s hospital SZIJJÁRTÓ WARNS be reopened in the first stage, to be capacities, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, AGAINST POLITICISING followed by shops with a new type of in an interview with public media, VACCINES security measure put in place, which praised the work of doctors, GPs and will involve allowing one customer per nurses during the third wave of the Because vaccines are the only 10 square metre. This can be followed pandemic. Orbán told news channel alternative to the coronavirus by the third and fourth stages of M1 that even if great efforts had to pandemic, they must not be made reopening, Orbán said but declined to be made, there would be enough into a political issue, Foreign Minister reveal details. He said the high number people and “our hospitals will work”. Péter Szijjártó told a press conference of daily infections and the number of Hungary’s health-care system is in a he held jointly with World Health available vaccines were “too much in much better shape, especially in terms Organisation Director-General contrast with each other for the time of human resources, than many people Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in being”. He said that once the number had previously thought, he added. Geneva. The world is clearly seeing of available vaccines increases, the Around half of the beds reserved for an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases number of infections will change coronavirus patients are still available and a regular emergence of new virus and “enable a rational and sensible and around twice as many ventilators variants, Szijjártó said, underscoring discussion about further steps of can be put in service, together with the need to accelerate vaccinations. reopening”. beds, as the number currently in use, The minister praised the WHO for not The prime minister promised to he said. He asked everyone to give as having made the issue of vaccines always inform the public one week much support to nurses and doctors an ideological one. He said those ahead of introducing the next step as possible and not to make their work who had turned vaccinations into and asked everyone to respect the more difficult “by spreading fake news”. an “ideological issue” in Brussels had rules. “There are not many rules and “This is not the right time to go into “practically caused people’s deaths”, they are simple, clear and easy to hospitals to make fake videos and fake insisting that they had slowed understand,” he added. Orbán called news”, he added. The prime minister vaccination drives and undermined it highly important not to give room said the health-care system was able to the willingness of the public to to anti-vaxxer sentiments. He said that handle caring for coronavirus patients get inoculated. Szijjártó noted generating anti-vaxxer sentiments and as well as for other serious patients. that Hungary would have its own lobbying against vaccination was more Commenting on the vaccination of production capacity for coronavirus than a mistake, it was a sin, because teachers, he said all teachers will get vaccine by the end of 2022. Hungary Matters is an English-language newsletter produced and distributed by the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) with content provided by Duna Media Service Provider exercises copyright over all content. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, redistributed or transmitted without prior written permission from the publisher, with the exception of copies made by individuals for private use, educational purposes or scholarly research, provided that such transmissions do not exceed the extent justified by the purpose and are not aimed at financial gain, even indirectly, and the source name are indicated at all times. All rights reserved. Enquiries should be made to the English Help Desk at +361 441 9340 2 For MTI’s real time coverage please visit http://english.mti.hu, http://econews.hu APRIL 1, 2021 AFTERNOON ISSUE PM The two officials announced that to continuously strengthen the V4 the WHO’s European leaders will visit HUNGARY PM cooperation,” said Orbán. Hungary at the end of the month for CONGRATULATES NEW talks on linking the country’s Covid SLOVAK COUNTERPART GOVT SUBMITS vaccine production capacities to the AMENDMENT PROPOSAL global production chain. Szijjártó Prime Minister Viktor Orban TO PUBLIC EDUCATION said Hungary would soon have congratulated Eduard Heger on his LAW administered the first dose of a Covid appointment as Slovakia’s new prime vaccine to 25% of its adult population. minister, in a letter on Thursday. In The government has submitted to The WHO leader said his organisation his letter, Orbán said Slovakia was a parliament an amendment proposal would support Hungary in building its key ally and a strategic partner, his to the law on public education that own vaccine production capacity, and press chief Bertalan Havasi said. The would clarify rules on mandatory encouraged the country to maintain Hungarian prime minister welcomed school and kindergarten enrolment, the momentum of its vaccination drive. that bilateral relations had developed the human resources ministry in every field of cooperation over said. A vote is expected during HUNGARY RECORDS 258 the past years, expressing hope parliament’s spring session. If passed, COVID FATALITIES, 9,288 that the two countries could further the amendment would make it NEW INFECTIONS strengthen them. Orbán said he possible for the child protection trusted that despite the extraordinary authority to initiate delaying a child’s Fully 258 patients, generally elderly challenges posed by the coronavirus school enrolment if necessary, and with co-morbidities, died over the past pandemic, “together we will be able if the parent has not yet initiated it. 24 hours, while 9,288 new infections to maintain the V4 group’s role as The bill would shorten procedural were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu Europe’s engine of growth”. He deadlines, allowing the Educational said on Thursday. So far 2,065,948 expressed hope to meet Heger in Authority to issue decisions sooner people have received a first jab, while person soon to discuss political and and for quicker appeals procedures. 787,207 have been fully vaccinated. The economic affairs. Also, in exceptional cases, a child’s number of active infections has risen to In another letter to outgoing Slovak kindergarten enrolment could be 230,161, while hospitals are caring for PM Igor Matovič, Orbán thanked delayed until Aug.