People wait for a tram in front of a poster reminding people of wearing masks in Budapest, Hungary, on Sept. 23, 2020. Hungary registered 951 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the total cases of the country to 20,450, according to the government's coronavirus information website. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
BUDAPEST, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Hungary registered 951 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the total cases of the country to 20,450, according to the government's coronavirus information website.
There are 558 COVID-19 patients being treated in hospital at present, 35 of whom are on ventilators. To date, there have been 4,644 recoveries and 702 fatalities.
Despite the rising number of infections, the Hungarian government does not aim at locking down the country as it had done in the spring.
"As the data on new infections warn, the second wave of the epidemic is currently underway in Hungary. The government's goal is to keep the country functioning and not let the virus paralyze everyday life, so easy-to-follow, general rules are now even more important," the government noted.
Rules are basically easy to follow, they include compulsory wearing of masks in shops and closed areas such as theaters, cinemas etc. and on all public transports nationwide.
Recently, the government has also ordered bars and restaurants to close at 11 p.m. the latest, trying to avoid larger gatherings. Events gathering of more than 500 people such as concerts and festivals are still banned.
Hungary's total COVID-19 cases topped 10,000 on Sept. 10.
Countries such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines. Enditem
