Coronavirus has reached Poland. The Minister of Health Łukasz Szumowski confirmed the first case on Wednesday. He informed that the patient, resident of Lubusz Voivodeship, was taken to a hospital in Zielona Góra and was in good condition. Due to coronavirus suspicion 68 people have been hospitalised in Poland, and some 500 have been quarantined.
The first confirmed case of coronavirus in Poland was announced by health minister Łukasz Szumowski at a press conference on Wednesday.
"Last night we received positive results of a patient tested for coronavirus. He is in a hospital in Zielona Góra and feels fine. All procedures worked as they should" - minister Szumowski said.
He added that people who had contact with the patient have been quarantined at home.
Furthermore, Szumowski announced the man contacted a doctor who told him to notify sanitary services. "The patient was taken to a hospital and, as always, and just like in Police (over 200 people were quarantined on Monday inside student home in the town of Police after having contact with 2 women with coronavirus risk), all people who had contact with this patient have been quarantined at home" - the minister informed.
Not a high-risk patient
Health minister also said the patient with confirmed coronavirus had returned from Germany. "As to the procedures, nothing has changed. When we receive information about high-risk of infection, we proceed as usual" - he explained.
He urged the public to act responsibly and keep calm. "We've been saying that it (the virus) would appear sooner or later and that's what happened" - he said.
Asked if the patient was a senior, Szumowski replied: " No, he's not a high-risk group patient".
The minister said he did not know the exact number of people taken under quarantine, but reassured it was not a big group.
68 in hospitals, 500 quarantined
Minister Szumowski announced that 68 people were hospitalised with suspicion of having contracted coronavirus at the time, and 500 were taken under quarantine. He added that the situation may have been changing that very moment. "These numbers will be changing dynamically as we have a lot of suspected cases" - he said.
He also underscored that all laboratories were operating at the time and said that average test time was 8 hours.
Autorka/Autor: gf
Źródło: TVN24 News in English