Almost one-third of Hungarians in favour of stricter response measures

The representative survey found that 58 percent of Hungarians believed that the measures in place before Nov. 1 had been enough to curb the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, altogether 8 percent said those measures had been too strict.

According to the survey, most respondents in favour of stricter response measures were those critical of the government, with 61 percent of them wanting more protective measures and 19 percent saying that the existing ones had been enough. In contrast, 76 percent of respondents who sympathised with the government were satisfied with the measures in place and just 17 percent wanted new restrictions.

Gergely Gulyas, the prime minister’s chief of staff, announced last week that employers were being given the right to require vaccination against Covid-19 as a precondition of employment in order to ensure workers’ safety. The state, as an employer, will also apply the measure, and mayors will have the right to introduce the requirement at local councils. Mask-wearing has also been made mandatory on public transport again from Nov. 1, and a visitor ban is also being introduced at hospitals. Gulyas said the measures were aimed at encouraging as many people as possible to get vaccinated.