The regulations effective as of Monday, 8th March 2021 in Hungary
This time in our article we would like to shed light on the regulations effective as of Monday, 8th March 2021.
Please be aware, that previous regulations on protective measures remain in place. The new restrictions are in addition to those, for the periods outside of the curfew period (i.e. for the period between 5 AM and 8 PM).
Please note though that regulations are not applicable to public health providers and wholesale activities.
Social contacts in public areas and places open to public must be restricted to the possible narrowest circle, 1.5 m distance must be kept (except for members of the same household).
Continuous wearing of masks covering the nose and mouth is obligatory within city limits of settlements, on streets and public areas. (People exempt from the mask mandate: minors under six, persons suffering from mental, psychosocial disability or autism spectrum disorder.
Personal leisure sporting activities may be conducted within and outside of city limits, possibly in green areas, alone or in the company of members of the same household, keeping a distance of 1.5 m. During personal sporting activities a mask does not need to be worn. Parks, public gardens are open.
There has been uncertainty about what shops can remain open, please find the list below:
- shops selling daily consumer food products,
- shops selling other daily consumer goods (especially shops selling perfume products, drugstore products, household cleaning products, chemicals and hygienic paper products),
- shops selling essential devices and materials for performance of work, official obligations, economic, agricultural and forestry activities (especially shops selling vehicles, machinery, parts, building materials and devices), excluding shops selling consumer electronics devices as their main activity
- shops selling animal food
- agricultural shops, including shops selling fertilizers and slaughterhouses
- gardening shops and nursery gardens
- markets and local farmers’ markets, except for shops otherwise required to close
- shops selling medications, medical devices, optical and vision devices, and animal pharmacies
- petrol stations
- national tobacco shops
- newsstands
Shops not listed above are obliged to close and the operator or manager of the shop is obliged to ensure the observation of the restrictions.
Stay in restaurants is allowed for the time and purpose of receiving and transporting foods suitable for takeout, according to the already existing regulations.
Premises requiring personal presence for providing services must close, except for premises offering the below services:
- financial services
- traffic and transport services
- private healthcare services, including preparation of glasses
- social services
- postal, parcel and home delivery services
- lottery and sports bets services
- vehicle repair services, agricultural and industrial machinery repair services, household machinery repair services, building engineering services,
- services for the repair of information technology and communication devices
- funeral services
- animal health services
- animal, plant and food health laboratory services
- food processing services,
- public catering services,
- animal husbandry services
- legal services
- security services
- building operation and office services
- vehicle and machinery rental services
- washing and cleaning services
Casinos, hotels, sporting facilities cannot be attended, visiting of and staying at casinos and card game halls is forbidden (except for their employees). For stays at hotels the already existing restrictions are applicable, i.e. for business purposes only.
Ice rinks, swimming pools, gyms and fitness rooms, sporting facilities may be visited according to already existing restrictions, for competitive sportspeople for the purposes of training and competitions.
Sanctions
Compliance with the restrictions is monitored jointly by the police and the army. Premises not following the set regulations may be asked to pay a fine between HUF 100,000 and HUF 1,000,000, and can be imposed repeatedly or even closed down for up to one year.
These sanctions can be applied jointly and repeatedly.
The sanctions may not be applied if the operator or manager of the premises carried out all necessary measures to terminate an illegal situation, especially by instructing the person committing a breach to leave, or notifying police if the person does not leave upon instruction.
No appeal is available against the fines.
Failure to comply with restrictions is also a misdemeanor, to be sanctioned with fines between HUF 5,000 and HUF 500,000, with on-site fines ranging from HUF 5,000 to HUF 100,000 or HUF 200,000 in cease of repeated offences.
- Further to the above, there are restrictions in public education as well, schools operate in a digital schedule, kindergartens are closed for an extraordinary holiday.
- Student hostels operate according to the decision of the director of the education institution.
- Adult education is conducted digitally in remote education. Exams cannot be conducted.
- Professional legal exams are conducted according to the relevant decree of the Ministry of Justice.
- Employees in public administration perform their work remotely at their homes or places of residence, with their own devices.
Work at the regular workplace might be ordered for those participating in the defense against the pandemic and where the type of work does not allow the performance of work at home.
Orders for remaining at the workplace are communicated verbally.
The government requests private actors to prefer the application of home office measures during their business activities.
Border control, extension of restrictions – please read our other article about the restrictions here.
Regulations are valid at least until 22nd March 2021, school closings until 7th April 2021.
At the same time, the effect of the regulations is extended automatically until the end of the emergency regime, or until 23rd May 2021.
Border control and the effect of already existing restrictions are prolonged until 22nd March 2021.
