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Polish MPs to debate new plans to fight COVID-19

22.10.2020 08:10
Polish MPs were on Thursday set to debate new measures to fight an escalating COVID-19 epidemic that is testing the capacity of the country’s health services.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Pixabay licence

Deputies were expected to consider a proposal under which medical staff who have to treat coronavirus patients will not be punished if they make mistakes.

The lower house of parliament had been due to consider the measures on Tuesday, but the debate was postponed after opposition politicians argued they needed more time to consider the government’s plans to fight the epidemic.

The delay was criticised as unnecessary “obstruction” by Ryszard Terlecki, a deputy parliamentary Speaker from the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Poland on Wednesday reported confirmed 10,040 new coronavirus cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March, prompting concern over whether its national health service will cope if cases continue to shoot up.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said he wants the whole of Poland to be covered by restrictions that currently apply in areas hardest hit by the epidemic.

Tougher measures to battle COVID-19 were introduced in Poland in the middle of this month, with the number of “red” zones - those with the most severe restrictions - increased to cover almost half the country.

(pk)

Source: Polish Radio/IAR