Orban’s cabinet chief, Deputy Minister quarantined over virus exposure

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of cabinet, Gergely Gulyas has been quarantined until he tests negative for COVID-19, the PM’s office said on Thursday, as Gulyas attended a private event last Saturday where a participant tested positive for the virus.

In a statement on state news agency MTI on Thursday, Orban’s office said Gulyas had taken a COVID-19 test, which came up negative, Reuters reported. 

The statement added that Gulyas would only be allowed to leave quarantine and attend a government meeting scheduled for Friday, if he produces a second negative COVID-19 test. 

Orban’s Deputy, Balazs Orban was also placed under quarantine, as he attended the same event with Gulyas, while Justice Minister Judith Varga has self-isolated after meeting someone on Monday who had been diagnosed with the virus. In a Facebook post, Varga said she had no symptoms of the virus and that she her COVID-19 test was negative. 

The communication director of the ruling Fidesz party, Istvan Hollik also announced later in the day that he had contracted the virus. 

The news came amid an alarming number of new cases reported in Hungary, with the number of active cases in Hungary having increased to over 1,000 for the first-time since mid-June.