Hungary PM Orban says first COVID-19 vaccine shipment could arrive in late Dec, early Jan

Hungary’s first shipment of coronavirus vaccine is expected to arrive in late December or early January, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday.

Orban said Hungary was talking to China and Russia about vaccines and by the spring it could have access to two or three different vaccines. From April the country was likely to be able to “declare victory over the pandemic.”

There is as yet no clinically proven vaccine against the coronavirus, though nearly 200 candidates are in development worldwide, and late-stage trial results are expected for the first of them by the end of 2020.

Orban’s government has refrained from imposing restrictions on mass events so far, with schools operating as normal and shops open. Soccer matches have been held with spectators in stadiums nationwide.

Orban told radio that from Monday those violating rules on wearing masks would face harsh penalties, with restaurants and shops to be closed by authorities if necessary.

“I believe the key is to obey the existing rules… and that masks must be worn,” Orban said, adding that there were enough hospital beds and ventilators to treat patients.

The National Medical Chamber called on the government on Tuesday to limit the opening hours of restaurants, reintroduce special shopping hours for the elderly as infections and the number of hospitalized COVID patients is rising.

The government has not acted on these proposals. Orban is seeking to avoid a repeat of a spring lockdown that sent the economy crashing by 13.6% in the second quarter.

Reports record 3,286 rise in daily new coronavirus infections

Hungary reported a record 3,286 rise in daily new coronavirus infections on Friday, while the number of patients in hospitals jumped to 3,753 from 3,197 registered on Thursday, the government said.

The European Commission is in talks with four companies to secure a potential COVID-19 vaccine, President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday following an EU leaders’ video conference.

The EU has already secured potential vaccines being developed by AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson. It has also said to be in talks with Moderna, CureVac and a partnership of Pfizer and BionTech.