Hungary cancels national day event over coronavirus fears

BUDAPEST: Hungary said Saturday it is cancelling an upcoming national day commemoration event March 15 in Budapest for "safety reasons" over the coronavirus outbreak.

The annual event usually features a speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orban and draws thousands of visitors from around the country as well as Hungarian communities abroad.

A government coronavirus taskforce earlier Saturday recommended cancelling the event, which commemorates the 1848 uprising against the Austrian Habsburgs. "Although Hungary has only seen individual and no group infections so far (the event) is the biggest in the country to which people travel from all parts," a government statement said. "Hence for safety reasons, and on the taskforce´s advice, the government has decided to call off the commemoration," it said.