Hungary's coronavirus daily tally tops 3,000 for first time

Reuters
Updated ·1 min read
Szukup, a Roma activist carries food donation at a slum during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miskolc

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary reported 3,149 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, its highest single-day tally and jumping above 3,000 for the first time, the government said.

The total number of cases rose to 59,247 in the country of 10 million, with 35 new deaths taking the total to 1,425.

Although coronavirus cases have been rising sharply since late August, Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking to avoid a repeat of the spring lockdown that sent the economy crashing by 13.6% in the second quarter.

Hungarian schools are operating as normal, and apart from closing borders to foreigners, the government has not imposed significant limitations on events.

Orban's cabinet chief Gergely Gulyas said on Thursday that the government planned no new restrictions to curb the spread of the virus and that schools would open as usual after the autumn break which ends on Nov. 1.

"The government is committed to keep schools running as normal," Gulyas said.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Catherine Evans)