New set of restrictions could be lifted soon. Number of infections nears 12,000

Poland's Health Ministry said on Monday that 297,859 tests have been carried out so far, of which 286,098 proved negative, and 11,761 positive. The total number of coronavirus-caused deaths stood at 539. Furthermore, the ministry informed 2,759 infected people were being hospitalised at the time, and 78,878 were under quarantine. As of Monday morning, 2466 people have recovered from the infection.

The spokesman for the ministry, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, said another bundle of coronavirus restrictions are ready to be lifted, if the number of infections remains on the same level as last week. "We hope this trend will continue. (...) However, we can't prejudge anything," Andrusiewicz said.

Poland's state-run economic support fund PFR will issue bonds worth 15 billion zloty ($3.60 billion) on Monday to finance relief from the economic consequences of the new coronavirus epidemic, its Chief Executive Officer Paweł Borys said. "To be able to deliver financing to entrepreneurs we will begin today to issue bonds worth 100 billion zloty. Today (it will be the) 15 billion zloty tranche of 4-year bonds," Borys said in a tweet.

Polish interest rates could be hiked within several months, Jerzy Kropiwnicki, a member of the central bank's rate-setting panel, the Monetary Policy Council, said on Monday. "The central bank's task will be to provide funds to finance the deficit - using 'conventional' and 'unconventional' measures. The MPC will be responsible for fighting against the inflation," he said in a blog post. "One should expect a decision to raise interest rates and the minimum reserve requirement - at least to past or recent levels. Maybe not immediately - but also without undue delay, in a few months," he added. Poland cut its main interest rate to 0.5% this month to counteract the negative effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

Poland's professional football league said it intends to re-start matches on May 29 and complete the season by July 19 after Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki gave the go ahead on Saturday for games to be played without spectators. In doing so, Poland became one of the first European countries to give a date for the resumption of the season which has been on hold because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"This is excellent news," said Marcin Animucki, president of the league which is known as the Ekstraklasa. "The government's consent to resume training gives us a chance to implement the plan we have been working on for the last four weeks," he added. "If there are no unexpected problems, and the health situation in the country allows it, after passing the preparation period the league could start on 29 May," Animucki stressed. He also said that European soccer body UEFA had recommended that the season finish by July 20.

The statement also laid out a plan for the resumption of activities which it said had been approved by the government. It said that players and coaching staff at each club had already started a 14-day period of isolation and daily reporting aimed at detecting possible symptoms. Furthermore, the teams could start training on May 4, in small groups, and full team training would begin after one week. On May 27-28, there would be testing of players, coaching staff and referees with matches to start on May 29. "Each stage in the plan depends on the epidemic situation in the country and the recommendations of the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Health," the statement added.

There are 11 rounds of matches still to play. Legia Warsaw lead the table with 51 points from 26 games, eight clear of Piast Gliwice.