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Poland confirms 5,733 new coronavirus cases, 121 more deaths

30.11.2020 10:40
Poland on Monday reported 5,733 new coronavirus infections and 121 more deaths, a marked drop from recent daily levels, bringing its total number of cases to 990,811 and fatalities to 17,150.
Coronavirus in Poland: A temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients in the southwestern city of Wałbrzych.
Coronavirus in Poland: A temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients in the southwestern city of Wałbrzych.Photo: PAP/Aleksander Koźmiński

Of the new cases confirmed by public health officials on Monday, 659 were in the central region of Mazowieckie, which contains the national capital Warsaw.

Meanwhile, 599 new infections were reported in the northwestern province of Zachodniopomorskie, which is home to the major city of Szczecin.

The western province of Wielkopolskie, which includes the city of Poznań, had the third-highest number of new infections confirmed by officials on Monday, at 532.

The latest deaths in Poland’s coronavirus outbreak are 100 people with pre-existing medical conditions and 21 who died directly because of COVID-19, the Polish health ministry said in a tweet.

On SundayPoland confirmed 283 deaths and 11,483 new coronavirus infections nationwide, compared with 599 deaths and 15,178 fresh cases a day earlier.

On Wednesday, November 25, officials reported 15,362 fresh COVID-19 infections and a record 674 new deaths linked to the coronavirus.

On Saturday, November 7, the Polish health ministry reported 27,875 new single-day cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.

21,504 in hospitals, 292,277 quarantined

The health ministry announced on Monday morning that 21,504 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals nationwide, 2,118 of them on ventilators, with a further 292,277 people quarantined for possible coronavirus exposure, and 11,540 under epidemiological supervision.

Meanwhile, 577,514 people have now recovered from COVID-19 throughout the country, including 18,085 over the last 24 hours, the health ministry also said.

Second wave hits hard

Tougher measures to battle COVID-19 came into effect across Poland earlier this month following a surge in cases amid a second wave of the pandemic.

Hotels are only able to take in guests on business trips. Theatres, cinemas, museums and galleries have been told to close temporarily.

The government has announced that restaurants, cinemas, theaters and gyms will remain closed until at least December 27.

Schools and universities throughout the country have returned to distance learning.

Under restrictions announced last month, children under 16 are only allowed to leave their homes under the supervision of an adult between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, pubs, restaurants and cafes are only allowed to provide take-aways and delivery orders.

Gatherings of more than five people have been forbidden, though people who live or work together are exempt from the rule.

Also, the government has appealed to people aged over 70 not to leave their homes unless necessary.

Poland last month introduced special shopping hours for people aged over 60 between 10 a.m. and noon.

Amid a spike in coronavirus cases, strict new rules came into effect in the country last month under which everyone is required to wear a face covering when going out in public.

Beginning October 10, people must cover their mouths and noses when outdoors in public places as well as in most indoor environments nationwide.

Amid an escalating outbreak, the country has decided to set up a network of temporary hospitals to treat coronavirus patients.

Warnings of 'third wave'

Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska told the media at the weekend that Poland was preparing to handle a possible "third wave" of the coronavirus pandemic early next year.

Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski last week warned that the chances of the country being hit by a third wave of the coronavirus would be greater if people did not spend the winter school break at home.

With 364 COVID-19 deaths per million population, Poland remains less affected by the coronavirus epidemic than some other countries in Europe, recent statistics have shown.

To compare, Belgium has 1,345 deaths per million residents since the start of the pandemic, according to data released by the Polish health ministry last week, while Spain has 922 and Italy reports 835.

Vaccines on the horizon

Poland’s prime minister said earlier this month that millions of vaccines against the coronavirus were likely to reach his country next spring as part of a European deal with drug makers.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on November 13 that his government has set up a working group with experts from US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer amid efforts to make a COVID-19 vaccine available to Poles as quickly as possible.

In mid-November, Morawiecki also talked with executives from global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca as part of efforts to secure a COVID-19 vaccine for Poland, state news agency PAP reported.

The European Union, of which Poland is part, has already struck deals to secure vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTechAstraZeneca, ModernaCureVacSanofi-GSK, and Johnson & Johnson, taking its potential stock of COVID-19 shots to nearly 2 billion, news agencies have reported.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info, Reuters