Hungary’s Terraces can begin preparing for a reopening next week, according to an official decree by the government. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has already announced that once 3.5 million people are inoculated, the terraces of pubs, restaurants, and cafés can reopen with no fee.
Current epidemic measures, such as the mandatory use of masks, social distancing, and the 10 pm curfew have all been extended in order to maintain control over the pandemic. The decree, found on the government’s website, provides details on how terraces will be able to operate.
Terraces will be allowed to remain open between 5 am and 9:30 pm. Customers are not required to wear masks, but waiters are.
The owners of the establishment are expected to ensure that Covid protocols are maintained. If they do not follow current rules and restrictions, they face a fine ranging from 100 thousand forint (277 EUR) to one million forint (2,774 EUR), and their business may be shut down.
Customers who do not adhere to Covid protocols will be subject to a fine ranging from 5 thousand forint (14 EUR) to 500 thousand forint (1,387 EUR).
The decree emphasizes that consumption of food or drink can only occur outside of buildings, but customers are allowed to go inside to use the bathroom.
The statement did not say whether customers are required to have an immunity certificate in order to be provided service, nor did hvg.hu receive a specific response after reaching out to the government.
In his most recent press conference on Thursday, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás stated that “the immunity certificate is still valid, but for now it does not come with privileges that would give it a use.”
Thus, it appears that immunity certificates will not yet come into play for the reopening of Hungary’s terraces, despite even the prime minister saying that “there will be a period of time,” when they will be necessary for certain services.
Featured photo illustration by Szilárd Koszticsák/MTI
