Hungary halfway into the virus crisis

The number one liberal weekly website quotes figures suggesting that the Hungarian economy only began to grapple with the virus emergency in March.

HVG.hu publishes a series of statistics on how European countries fared in March as the coronavirus pandemic began. The figures show that Hungary was only moderately hit in the first month of the virus emergency. Car sales dropped by 85 per cent in Italy, for instance (on a year on year basis), but the European average was also over 50%. Hungary’s car sales only dropped by 10 per cent. The April figures will be much more negative, the authors add. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus victims is now over 200, while more than 2000 people have tested positive for the virus. The Prime Minister expects the epidemic to peak during the first week of May. HVG also observes changes in peoples’ habits that might become long-term patterns of behaviour. Delivery companies are flourishing, as people follow the advice of the authorities to stay at home, and they may get accustomed to ordering products through the internet rather than strolling through the shops. Another such novelty is that cash has all but disappeared from commercial exchanges, HVG reports.

Tags: coronavirus, economy