Hungary cannot lift restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus until it can carry out a mass inoculation of the people, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio.

Orban said the best approach was to authorise the use of several vaccines as competition would force manufacturers to speed up shipments.

“We don’t need explanations, we need vaccines,” Orban said, adding that he hoped Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who is in Moscow for talks, can secure a deal to buy Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.