35,143 cases on Friday. Third daily infections record in a row

Health Ministry informed on Friday about 35,143 new coronavirus cases - the highest daily spike since the start of the pandemic - and the death of 443 infected people.

This was the third daily infections record in a row.

On Thursday Poland reported 34,151 cases, and 29,978 on Wednesday, when the total number of coronavirus fatalities surpassed 50,000.

The previous daily record of 27,875 cases was reported on November 7, 2020.

Since the start of the pandemic on March 4, 2020, when the first case of coronavirus infection was reported, Poland has had 2,189,966 cases and 51,305 deaths so far.

Within the last 24 hours, over 107,000 coronavirus tests were performed - the highest number since the start of the pandemic.

The government has announced more restrictions on Thursday to curb the surging number of infections.

Poland will shut kindergartens, hair salons and limit church service attendance from Saturday in response to the "most difficult moment" of the coronavirus outbreak, its prime minister said.

Mateusz Morawiecki said the health service was reaching the limits of its capacity, and that restricting citizens' mobility and business activity was essential to contain the virus's spread.

"Poland today is in the most difficult moment of the pandemic in 13 months," he told a news conference on March 25.

Along with its regional neighbours, Poland was spared the worst of the pandemic's first wave, but has faced a sharp spike in third wave cases.

Morawiecki said further restrictions were not impossible if the situation worsens over the next two or three weeks and that mandatory quarantining could be introduced for arrivals at Poland's southern border.

The government has blamed the more contagious variant of the virus first identified in Britain for the surge in cases, but critics point to delayed restrictions, citizens tired of new rules and limited government support for the healthcare system.