Hungary’s Break in Covid Death Spiral Remains Elusive

(Bloomberg) -- Hungary, currently with the world’s highest fatality rate from the coronavirus pandemic, reported another record in daily Covid-19 deaths, and the government is unable to project how fast the virus will recede after it eventually plateaus, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

“We’re living the most difficult weeks of the pandemic,” Orban told state radio on Friday. He said 275 people died from the virus on Thursday, surpassing the previous record set a day earlier.

Hungary plans to reopen schools on April 19, after an estimated 2.5 million people have been vaccinated, roughly equivalent to the population 65 years old and over, Orban said. Currently 1.8 million have received at least one vaccine dose, the second-highest rate of inoculation in the European Union.

In the meantime, Hungary plans to expand the number of stores that can be open while limiting capacity to one customer per 10 square meters, Orban said. Opening hours will be extended to avoid overcrowding. As a result, the nightly curfew may start later than the current 8 p.m., Orban said, adding that a decision will be made on Saturday.

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