English Section

COVID-19 cases on the rise in Poland 'due to Kraken subvariant': health minister

02.03.2023 19:00
Poland’s health minister has said the country is experiencing another wave of COVID-19 infections, “mainly due to the Kraken subvariant,” adding that the latest wave should “peak soon.” 
Adam Niedzielski.
Adam Niedzielski.PAP/Piotr Nowak

Adam Niedzielski shared the news on social media on Thursday, Polish state news agency reported. 

The health minister said in a tweet: “The rise in COVID-19 cases during the current wave has been mainly caused by the Kraken subvariant, which accounts for nearly 21 percent of cases in Poland.”

He added: “Infections should peak shortly. The increases are already beginning to slow. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals is lower by more than 1,000 than during the peak of the previous wave.”

New wave of COVID-19 cases

Earlier on Thursday, the health ministry said that there had been 3,036 COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, including 766 reinfections, and 26 people with COVID-19 had died, the PAP news agency reported.

A week earlier, on February 23, there were 2,813 COVID-19 cases, including 781 reinfections, and 10 deaths.

On February 16, there were 1,977 COVID-19 infections and nine people with COVID-19 died.

Since March 4, 2020, when the first coronavirus case was detected in Poland, there have been 6,425,500 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 118,924 people with COVID-19 have died, according to PAP.  

In December last year, Poland rolled out COVID-19 vaccination for the youngest children. 

In November, the Polish health minister announced that mask wearing would remain compulsory in hospitals, clinics and pharmacies nationwide at least until the end of March to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

In September, Poland began administering second COVID-19 booster shots to people aged over 12.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, interia.pl