Gulyás said the government had made its decision in line with a proposal by the interior minister and the operative board.

The government has ordered a ban on travellers from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran, except for Hungarian citizens arriving from those locations who will have to stay in isolation at home for two weeks after arrival, Gulyás added.

In order to enforce the travel restrictions, border controls will be reintroduced on Hungary’s Schengen borders with Slovenia and Austria. All trains, buses and flights from the countries in question will also be stopped by midnight on Wednesday, he added.

The government has also decided to ban indoor events with more than 100 people attending, while outdoor events with more than 500 will also be subject to the ban, Gulyas said. It will be the organisers’ responsibility to cancel events, he added.

Any documents that are to expire in the near future will remain valid during the state of emergency, he added.

All measures will remain valid until further notice, he said.

Government orders ban on university visits, schools remain open

The government has introduced a ban on university visits but remote study options will remain open as a protective measure in the fight against the coronavirus, Gergely Gulyás announced.

Universities will start closing down on Thursday, Gulyás said.

Gulyas noted that Hungarian universities have a high number of foreign students, adding that out of Hungary’s 13 coronavirus cases so far 9 were foreign nationals.

He said schools will remain open for the time being but this may change if it becomes necessary for protection of life and health.

He argued that the virus was not typically affecting children, and closing primary schools could involve having to repeat the whole school year.

The government has also decided to suspend the Határtalanul! (With no borders) school trip programme, and will also postpone by one year language courses planned for the summper holidays.

Gulyás said that people spreading rumours or violating quarantine rules would be prosecuted.

MTI Photo:  Szilárd Koszticsák