New measures have come into effect in Hungary, where COVID-19 infections hit their highest-ever daily figure over the weekend. 

Schools, non-essential shops and fitness centers have all been forced to shut, while a curfew remains in place between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.. Masks are required in all public places, including outdoors. 

Central Europe has been driving an upward trend in cases on the continent, following six weeks of decline. A drop in Hungary's coronavirus cases on Monday gave some reason for hope, although hospitalizations continue to climb. 
 

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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the coming weeks will be the hardest period of the pandemic, insisting the new restrictions will prevent a tragedy in hospitals. 

For International Women's Day, florists were given a one-day exception to the store closures. "These restrictions will hit our business hard," said Adrienn Matrai, who runs the Adrivirag flower shop in Budapest.

"In the past year, we haven't generated as much revenue as we previously could. But since flowers help with mental health, they soothe the soul, the impact hasn't been as bad as expected."

Her business will operate online only from Tuesday onwards. "In Hungary, online shopping is not well developed. Due to the pandemic, we were forced to enter the online space, but it's far from ideal," she explained.

So far, however, Matrai hasn't been forced to lay off any staff. But unemployment in the country is rising.

After the country's gross domestic product (GDP) dropped 5.1 percent in 2020, businesses will now take another hit to protect the healthcare system. 

The government has pledged a 50 percent wage subsidy to workers who are affected by the new measures, with employers expected to make up the other half. 

"The government support is always too little for an enterprise," said Gyorgy Vamos, the director general of the National Trade Association. 

"But to open shops further means a kind of danger, so everyone has to accept this situation. Obviously there are some shops that will close for good and it will be painful for them."

Hungary's government aims to reopen the economy by Easter, only three weeks from now. It points to progress in its vaccination drive, which is moving at one of the fastest paces in the European Union. 

Hungary is using five jabs against COVID-19 and has given 10 percent of citizens their first dose. That trend is giving Hungarians hope that this lockdown could be their last.