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Coronavirus stymies swearing in of new Polish Cabinet

05.10.2020 13:27
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has asked the president to delay Monday’s planned swearing-in of a new Cabinet after the incoming education minister said he was infected with the coronavirus.
Przemysław Czarnek at a press conference on Saturday.
Przemysław Czarnek at a press conference on Saturday. Photo: PAP/Wojtek Jargiło

Following a Cabinet reshuffle, President Andrzej Duda had been due to swear in government ministers at 3pm.

But on Monday morning Przemysław Czarnek, who is set to take over as the minister of education and science, confirmed he had COVID-19.

“Prime Minister Morawiecki has asked the president to change the date of the swearing-in" ceremony, government spokesman Piotr Müller said.

Poland has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus infections in recent days.

On Saturday, public health authorities reported 2,367 new COVID-19 cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.

The Polish health ministry on Monday reported 2,006 new coronavirus infections and 29 more deaths.

A total of 102,080 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Poland since the start of the epidemic, and 2,659 have died from the COVID-19 respiratory disease so far.

(pk)

Source: IAR