Off-colour world, again

Gergely Gulyás, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, said on July 12 that Hungary must prevent the virus entering from abroad. “Hungary is today among the safest countries in Europe,” he said. But given new outbreaks around the world the government was putting the health and safety of Hungarians foremost and doing everything possible to prevent the virus’s return.

The operative board in charge of containing the pandemic has advised the government to classify countries “red”, “yellow” and “green”, based on their level of infection, Gulyás said, adding that it is continually monitoring data from abroad. There were “worrying signs” from neighbouring countries. “The better we are able to protect our borders and restrict entry to the country, the better we can uphold the conditions for a safe and free life in Hungary,” he said.

Special rules will apply to Hungarian citizens and their relatives. Hungarian citizens can freely enter from a country classified “green”. Entry from “yellow” or “red” countries will entail undergoing a health check at the border and 14 days in quarantine unless two consecutive negative coronavirus tests taken 48 hours apart within the previous five days can be proven.

Hungarian citizens coming from a “yellow” country depart quarantine after a single coronavirus test, while those from “red” countries will need two negative tests to do so. The same rule applies to non-Hungarian citizens from “yellow” countries but those from “red” ones will be forbidden entry altogether.

Transit and freight traffic are exempt but will have to follow an officially designated corridor. At the same time health examinations may be carried out if needed.

The government will keep the list of countries and their classification under review, and it is possible the number of countries in the yellow or red category may be expanded. In the case of a sudden deterioration of the situation in any given country immediate action will be taken, Gulyás said. The government was doing its best to make sure that freedom of movement is maintained as regards European Union member states.

Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Sweden are currently “yellow” EU countries (as of July 13), while from outside the EU the United Kingdom, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Japan, China and the United States are the same.  Among European countries, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belarus, Kosovo, North Macedonia, as well as Moldova and Montenegro are “red”.

Asia, Africa and South America are also “red”. In Croatia, still “green”, the number of infected people is low but increasing, Gulyás noted, adding that the new rules will also apply to people returning home from Greece via Serbia by road.

He said the government will bear the costs of testing until August 1. After this date, unless people are prepared to enter into official home quarantine for 14 days when they return home from a country marked yellow or red, they will have to pay for the test. Gulyás said reports that Hungary had not provided data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control were based on a misunderstanding and were mistaken.