About Hungary – Coronavirus : Japan supplies Hungary with medicine to treat COVID-19
MAY 15, 2020
The foreign minister has revealed that Japan will provide medicine to treat COVID-19 to 30 countries including Hungary, free of charge.
Following phone talks with his Japanese counterpart,
Péter Szijjártó
thanked Toshimitsu Motegi for including Hungary in the group of recipients, while the Japanese minister congratulated Hungary on its handling of the coronavirus epidemic.
Minister Szijjártó
said that Japan would send 12,200 Avigan pills, sufficient to treat 100 patients.
He also said Japan was open to future cooperation opportunities with regard to coronavirus research.
The two ministers
agreed that a direct Budapest-Tokyo flight would be launched once the epidemic is over.
Minister Szijjártó also
noted that the government on Wednesday had decided to lift any entry restrictions for Japanese business travelers.
About Hungary – Coronavirus Update: Favipiravir production could start this autumn
MAY 13, 2020
Hungarian researchers
have concluded the first phase of developing favipiravir, a medication proven effective against the novel coronavirus in Asia.
According to MTI, the innovation and technology ministry confirmed that production of the drug might start as early as this autumn.
State Secretary Tamás Schanda
said the infrastructure for clinical tests and manufacturing will be provided by a wide-ranging cooperation between the government,
research institutes, universities and companies. The government is funding the work with a HUF 370 million (EUR 1.1m) grant.