Hungary curbs lifted for immunity card holders

Hungary on Saturday loosened several COVID-19 restrictions for people with government-issued immunity cards, the latest in a series of reopening measures that have followed an ambitious vaccination campaign.

As of Saturday, individuals with the plastic cards may enter indoor dining rooms, hotels, theaters, cinemas, spas, gyms, libraries, museums and other recreational venues.

Hungary's famous thermal baths, a hallmark of its tourism industry, opened their pools, saunas and steam rooms to guests  after nearly six months of closure.

Budapest, which operates 12 such spas, opened six of them for visitors.

Ildiko Szucs, CEO of Budapest Spas Ltd, told The Associated Press that the baths can provide valuable health benefits for those who have suffered physically and mentally under COVID-19 lockdowns.

Speaking from Budapest's neo-Baroque Szecheyni Baths, the largest medicinal spa in Europe, Szucs said that many guests arrived Saturday with proof of vaccination issued by their doctor, but had still not received their government-issued card, prohibiting them from entering.

"We will try to take action on this matter and, if necessary, ask for an amendment to the legislation, since these guests have already received two vaccinations in many cases," she said.

People who have received at least one vaccine dose and those who have recovered from COVID-19 are eligible for the Hungarian immunity cards, which must be presented at establishments before entry.

Businesses can be issued heavy fines if they allow non-cardholders to enter.

While millions of Hungarians now have the opportunity to return to some semblance of their normal lives with the immunity cards, many who are eligible have yet to receive them.

Maria and Gabor Gal, a retired married couple, received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on March 21, and their second in early April. But six weeks after their initial shots, they said they hadn't received their cards.

The government has launched a website and special email address where those who have not received their cards may submit a request for one.

Earlier plans indicated a mobile app would be available to prove vaccination, but the system has yet to go online.

Hungary has given out 4 million first-dose coronavirus vaccinations, reaching around 40% of its population and is the only EU nation using vaccines from China and Russia in addition to Western jabs.

It has the second highest vaccination rate in the EU, but a devastating infection surge this spring means Hungary now has the highest total death rate per million inhabitants in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.

So far there have been more than 27,500 coronavirus fatalities.