Hungary says it will not comply with a recommendation by the European Union to lift coronavirus travel restrictions for more countries outside the bloc.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday said the move "would go against the healthcare interests of the Hungarian people."
Earlier this week, the EU finalized the list of "safe" countries where virus infections were seen to be low enough to allow their citizens to enter the bloc starting on Wednesday.
The list includes South Korea, Canada, Thailand, Uruguay, as well as China, if it reciprocates.
Hungary has been affected lightly by the pandemic compared to other parts of Europe, so far recording just over 4,100 infections and around 590 deaths.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
