“The government is working normally,” Morawiecki said.
Government spokesman Piotr Müller added that the prime minister was continuing to perform his duties. He added that Morawiecki had not been diagnosed with COVID-19 and had no symptoms of the illness.
"The prime minister's quarantine follows confirmation this morning that a person he had contact with last Friday, October 9 is infected," Müller said.
Poland on Tuesday reported 5,068 new coronavirus infections, its second-highest daily surge so far, and 63 additional deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 135,278 and fatalities to 3,101.
On Saturday, October 10, Poland reported 53 deaths and a record 5,300 new cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.
Morawiecki was on Tuesday afternoon scheduled to hold a teleconference with opposition parties on the COVID-19 crisis.
Ahead of the conference, Morawiecki said: “For those who don’t want any sharpened restrictions, and those who want a lockdown of the economy, we have a more appropriate idea… we need restrictions, but to a degree that won’t lead to the economy shutting down, or will lead to this only to a small extent.”
Tougher rules
Amid a spike in coronavirus cases, strict new rules came into effect in Poland at the weekend under which everyone is required to wear a face covering when going out in public.
The regulations kicked in after officials last week announced a stepped-up battle against the coronavirus epidemic following a surge in both COVID-19 infections and deaths.
Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski earlier this month announced “zero tolerance” toward people who flout sanitary rules, warning that offenders would be "severely punished."
A senior official said on Monday that Poland was not ruling out introducing a state of emergency if the COVID-19 crisis worsened dramatically in the future.
With 70 COVID-19 deaths per million population, Poland remains far less affected by the coronavirus epidemic than many other countries in Europe, recent statistics have shown.
(pk)
Source: IAR