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UPDATE: Poland to impose lockdown in two more provinces as epidemic surges

11.03.2021 15:00
Poland's health minister on Thursday announced a partial lockdown in two additional provinces from March 15 amid soaring coronavirus cases.
Health Minister Adam Niedzielski seen on a screen during a virtual press conference.
Health Minister Adam Niedzielski seen on a screen during a virtual press conference. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

The decision means that from Monday, restrictions will be imposed on shopping malls and a range of other facilities in the central Mazowieckie region, which includes the national capital Warsaw, and in the country's western Lubuskie province.

"Hotels will be closed, shopping malls will have limits on their operations, cultural institutions will be closed, and swimming pools and sports facilities will be shut" in those two regions, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told reporters.

Most single-day infections since November

Poland on Thursday reported 21,045 new coronavirus infections, the highest tally since November.

Officials also reported 375 more deaths, bringing Poland's total number of cases during the pandemic to 1,849,424 and fatalities to 46,373.

At the end of last week, officials announced that a near-complete regional lockdown would be imposed on the northern Pomerania province from March 13 amid a rise in new COVID-19 cases.

In another regional lockdown, a range of restrictions on public life have been reintroduced in the northeastern Warmia and Mazuria province.

Pandemic restrictions in the rest of the country will remain unchanged until at least March 28 following an easing of containment measures earlier this year, Niedzielski has previously said.

(pk/gs)

Source: PAP