Hungary to deploy military task forces to 140 state companies during pandemic

Hungary will deploy military personnel to monitor the operations of 140 state companies providing critical services during the coronavirus pandemic, Defense Minister Tibor Benko has said.

The newly created task forces, consisting of several soldiers, police officers, and disaster unit workers, will provide regular briefings on the companies to the Defense Ministry, Benko told public television late on Wednesday.

PM Viktor Orban’s government declared a state of national crisis last week due to the spread of the virus. According to official figures, 73 people have contracted the coronavirus in Hungary. One person has died, two have recovered, and 124 people are under quarantine, Reuters reports.

“One of the tasks of these task forces among others is to ensure the operation and safety of these Hungarian companies,” Benko said. He added that they included businesses operating in energy, telecommunications, transport and healthcare sectors.