I've just had an email from the Government Spokesman's Office that I thought I would share. Readers will be especially relieved to learn that the Hungaran Prime Minister has not just got any old plan, it's not even a mere "action plan". No, he's got a "war plan" to counter the spread of Coronavirus and "protect the elderly, cure the sick and keep the country functioning".
This "war plan" certainly includes useful nuggets, including the fact that the maximum price for tests for the virus will be limited Ft 19,500 - though it's not clear if VAT is levied on top of that - in which case you can add on roughly Ft 5,000. (It''s 27%, but you can do the exact sums if it matters.)
"In addition to shops and public transportation vehicles, mask-wearing will now be made obligatory in cinemas, theaters, healthcare and social institutions, and customer service offices," - which is jolly good advice if only people didn't take their masks off to do things like speak to their neighbour and sneeze (I kid you not).
It also contains the draconian edict that "clubs must close no later than 11.00 pm", along with the deeply thought-out insight that "As the virus has been mostly brought into the country from abroad, the government will maintain its international travel restrictions."
(Well, I was under the impression that the virus has been brought into each and every country around the world "from abroad", unless you happen to be speaking or writing in China. But our elite don't want to mention China in any negative sense in case they pull out of any lucrative deals, lucrative for some, that is.)
But let's forget that quibble, let's focus on these "restrictions", because they conveniently - at least for soccer fanatics - allow visits for sporting events. And that includes the UEFA Super Cup Final, to be held in Budapest next week. (See post from Sunday - Management by Personal Whim etc.)
This will bring at least 3,000 fans, plus the team, coaches, team doctors, journalists and other hangers on from Spain into Hungary. In case you are not sure, that is from the same Spain that according to my reading of the charts, is currently averaging about 9,400 infections per day, and in the past week has had spikes of around 25,000 on two separate days. (See https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-cases )
These people will be coming into a Hungary which itself reported another 581 infections this morning for the previous 24 hours. That brings the number of new infections over the past week to 4,745, an average of 678 per day, or some 6.8 per 100,000 population per day. This compares to the UK, which very worried that new infections are now averaging 3,286 per day, or 4.9 per 100,000 population.
Yes, folks, this is part of the Prime Minister's "war plan" for "protecting the elderly, curing the sick and keeping the country functioning". Bringing in 3,000 plus folks from C-19 ravaged Spain, plus a similar number of fans etc from Germany.
Some "war plan" that.
Sounds a bit like the Americans inviting the Japanese Air Force to visit Pearl Harbour in November 1940.
You can read about the "War Plan" here, in English.
You can also sign a petition against this madness here (in English too):
https://szabad.ahang.hu/petitions/az-uefa-szuper-kupat-vigyek-mas-varosba-vagy-nezok-nelkul-rendezzek-meg
UPDATE: Thursday, Sept 17 09.40.
710 new infections in past 24 hours, and nine deaths in Hungary.
Now even the death rate is beginning to slowly rise. I can't remember when we last had so many deaths in a day. Could, of course, be an odd spike.