Hungary’s Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto returned home on Wednesday night via private plane after being tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The Hungarian Minister had arrived in Thailand with his council on the evening of November 3 on Tuesday, and the group was tested for the virus via the RT-PCR method through the screening test in Thailand.
Mr Szijjarto was subsequently treated in isolation at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute after the results came on the morning of Wednesday.
In the same afternoon, Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul paid the Hungarian Minister a visit at the institute and revealed to reporters that the test was repeated two more times to confirm the diagnosis, and that Mr Szijjarto had previously displayed no symptoms at all.
Tanee Sangrat, Director-General of Information Department and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, stated on Wednesday that the Hungarian Minister was scheduled to visit Thailand between November 3-4 as a guest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Due to the test results, all activities and the official visit itself were cancelled.
Authorities in Hungary and Thailand have coordinated for the Hungarian Minister to be sent home for recovery. Two private aircrafts were sent by the Hungarian government and the minister departed in the evening. His accompanying delegation, who all tested negative, would depart later and leave Thailand on a flight provided by Hungarian authorities.
Thai authorities confirmed that Mr Szijjarto was in good shape upon his return, with the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ocha wishing him for a swift recovery.
Source: Thairath