OBJECTIVES : The first patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was diagnosed on the 4^th of March 2020 in Hungary. The aim of our study is to analyse the regional inequalities in the occurrence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus in Hungary.

METHODS : Data derived from the National Surveillance System (OSZIR) of the National Public Health Center (Nemzeti Népegészségügyi Központ) of Hungary. Patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in highly specialised laboratories designated for SARS-CoV-2 virus diagnostic. Data of laboratory confirmed cases were reported to the National Surveillance System. The period from the onset of first COVID-19 case up to 7^th July 2020 was covered. Data were analysed according to 20 counties of Hungary.

RESULTS : Altogether 4,205 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases were identified in Hungary resulting in an incidence of 4.35 cases per 10,000 population. The number of novel coronavirus daily cases reached its peak in Hungary between 10-23 April with higher than 100 novel cases per day (0.102 new cases per 10,000 population). There was a 28.88 times higher incidence of COVID-19 in the county with the lowest (Békés 0.39) and with the highest (Budapest 11.36) occurrence. We found 4 counties with very high COVID-19 incidence (cases per 10,000 population): Budapest (11.36), Komárom-Esztergom county (10.20), Zala county (9.8) and Fejér county (9.05). The lowest frequency of COVID-19 was observed in the following counties (cases per 10,000 population): Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok (0.46), Hajdú-Bihar (0.44), Bács-Kiskun (0.42) and Békés (0.39).

CONCLUSIONS : We found 28.88-fold differences in the incidence of COVID-19 cases among Hungarian counties with the lowest and highest occurrence. The highest incidence was observed in the capital city (Budapest) and in counties characterized by either nosocomial infections or cumulative cases in social institutions.