On Monday, Prime Minister Orbán announced the extension of the current coronavirus restrictions until January 11. He added, however, that the strict measures may well be lifted temporarily for Christmas Eve.

Népszava’s Miklós Hargitai interprets the decision to extend the restrictions as an admission of the government’s failure to keep the virus at bay. The left-wing columnist believes that the government introduced an ineffective and unnecessary ‘PR action plan’ that ‘was intended to suggest that the government is in control’, rather than pragmatic measures. Had the government acted responsibly, it should have closed down all schools to stop the contagion, Hargitai contends. (Teaching above the 8th grade has been provided online since early November, while primary schools and kindergartens remained open.)

In Magyar Nemzet Gergely Kiss finds it reasonable to extend the restrictions to protect lives. The pro-government commentator continues, that in addition to putting the health of Hungarians first, the government is doing a lot to help families and businesses hit by the pandemic.

Portfolio also thinks that the government made the right decision when it decided against lifting the restrictions. The business media outlet, however, notes that the government aroused false hopes when it suggested over the past weeks that the restrictions might be eased in December.