Hungary new daily COVID-19 infections at highest since end-March

FILE PHOTO: People enjoy the evening outside a bar after the Hungarian government allowed the reopening of outdoor terraces, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Budapest, Hungary, April 24, 2021. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

BUDAPEST — Hungary reported 10,265 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the end of March, the government said on its official coronavirus website.

The daily tally is getting close to the peak of 11,265 reached during the third wave of the pandemic in the country which has hardly any restrictions in place and where the vaccination rate is below the European Union average.

A new wave of COVID-19 infections has swept across Central Europe with hospitals struggling to cope in some countries like neighbouring Romania. Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland have all tightened rules on mask wearing and introduced measures to curb infections.

READ: As outbreak worsens, COVID-19 cases in eastern Europe near 20 million

In Hungary, the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is facing a close election in early 2022, has urged people to take up vaccines and announced mandatory inoculations at state institutions, also empowering private companies to make vaccinations mandatory for employees.

But it has refrained from making mask wearing mandatory in closed spaces – apart from on public transport and in hospitals – and there are no other restrictions in place. On Tuesday, the government said it was monitoring cases, and “if necessary will take further measures”.

The government has not replied to emailed Reuters questions.

Hungary, a country of 10 million, has reported 32,514 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic but only 5.78 million of its people are fully vaccinated. More than 1.66 million people have received a booster shot.