Poland reported a record 6,526 new coronavirus infections and 116 related deaths on Wednesday, according to health ministry data published on Twitter, as doctors warn of the healthcare system becoming overloaded. So far, Poland has reported 141,804 cases and 3,217 COVID-related deaths. On Tuesday evening Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tested negative for coronavirus, whereas former Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski was taken to hospital where he tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Poland reported a record 6,526 new coronavirus infections and 116 deaths on Wednesday and doctors warned the healthcare system was becoming overloaded.
The country of 38 million has now recorded 141,804 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3,217 deaths.
The ministry said that as of Wednesday COVID-19 patients occupied 6,084 hospital beds and were using 467 ventilators, compared with 5,669 and 421 respectively a day earlier.
The ministry also informed about the death of 116 infected people. This is the highest number recorded since the start of the pandemic. According to the medical report, 11 person died directly from COVID-19, whereas 105 had co-occurring diseases.
Morawiecki tests negative
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has tested negative for COVID-19 and will continue to quarantine after coming in contact with a person who tested positive, the government's spokesman said on Twitter on Tuesday evening.
"I am in constant contact with my colleagues and the government is working normally," Morawiecki said in a video posted on social media.
Government spokesman Piotr Muller wrote on Twitter that the person who tested positive was an officer of the state protection service, which provides security for the government.
It was unclear whether Morawiecki would participate in the European Union summit on Thursday and Friday.
"The decision will be taken by the sanitary inspectorate and doctors following tests," Muller told Reuters after the information on Morawiecki's quarantine was released.
Former minister in hospital
On Tuesday evening, Wirtualna Polska reported that former Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski was admitted to hospital and tested positive for coronavirus.
The information was later confirmed by Fakty TVN, while TVN24 reporter learned that the former minister had trouble breathing and suffered shortness of breath. His symptoms were severe enough to be taken under specialist care.
Poland announced new restrictions on Saturday to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus after reporting record infections for a fifth successive day. The measures included setting aside special shopping hours for senior citizens and increasing funding to care homes.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters