So far in Poland 16 people have died after being infected with SARS-CoV-2, health ministry informed on Thursday (March 26) evening. The number of confirmed infections has gone up to 1.221. The government maintains the May 10 presidential election will not be postponed. The lower house passed regulations allowing the chamber's sessions to be carried out online. The draft law referred to as "Anti-crisis shield", finalised by the government, has been sent to the Sejm.
The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday evening the number of confirmed coronavirus infection cases in Poland increased up to 1.221.
Another two deaths have also been reported: a 78-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman were both hospitalised in Warsaw, and both suffered from other diseases.
So far, 16 people have died after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Poland.
"No such provision"
"Introducing a state of emergency would not only impose further restrict citizen rights, but also deal quite a blow to the economy" - Łukasz Schreiber from PM's chancellery said in TVN24 on Thursday.
"So far, we have been handling the pandemic with methods at hand" - he added.
Asked about the possibility to postpone May 10 presidential election due to coronavirus crisis, Schreiber said "there's no such possibility in Poland, no such procedure, to postpone elections for any reason".
"This due to a very rational provision enshrined in the constitution, preventing any government - which wouldn't want to lose power - from postponing elections to a more convenient date" - Schreiber explained.
Lower house online
The Sejm (lower house of parliament) adopted on Thursday changes to the chamber's regulations that would allow its sessions and voting to be carried out online in extraordinary cases. This means lawmakers would be able to convene remotely.
In the vote, 250 MPs supported the changes, 104 were against, and 14 abstained. The new regulations were backed by all MPs from Law and Justice (PiS), the Left, and Polish People's Party. Majority of those against changes were from Civic Coalition. Earlier on, most of amendments proposed by the opposition were rejected.
The voting over 15 amendments and the resolution as a whole took over 2 hours. That was because the votes had to be counted manually in all 11 rooms, in which MPs had gathered, and then summed up.
"Shield" reaches lawmakers
Poland's government will be able to set maximum prices and margins on selected goods, it said in proposed legislation designed to combat the negative effects of coronavirus on the economy. In the proposal, which has been sent to the lower house of parliament, the government said that the health minister in cooperation with ministries responsible for economy and agriculture, could decide on maximum prices for goods that are of significant importance to health protection, people's security and houshold costs. The development ministry and the government spokesman were not immediately available to comment on whether Poland plans to control the prices. Poland has closed borders, shut down schools and public places and told Poles to leave their homes only if absolutely necessary to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 1,120 Poles and killed 14. The government also announced a package to help the economy worth over 200 billion zlotys ($48 billion), while the central bank cut interest rates by 50 basis points earlier this month
Autorka/Autor: gf
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters