The Ministry of Health informed on Monday about 4,786 new cases of coronavirus infection and the death of 24 COVID-19 patients. Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Poland has reported 1,711,772 infections. President Andrzej Duda talked with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about buying the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine. Poland's chief COVID-19 advisor said on Monday that in the worst-case scenario, the number of daily infections could go up even by 50-60 percent.
The highest number out of the 4,786 infections were reported in the Masovian province - 1,051.
The ministry also informed about the death of 24 infected persons, 6 of which died due to COVID-19, whereas 18 due to COVID-19 and co-occurring diseases.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 1,711,772 coronavirus infections and 43,793 deaths has been recorded.
Monday's coronavirus count is higher than the week before by 896 cases. On February 22 the ministry reported 3,890 cases. Two weeks ago the number was at 2,543, three weeks ago at 2,431, and four weeks ago at 2,503.
How many vaccinations?
3,336,354 vaccinations were confirmed by Monday noon. First doses of the vaccine were applied 2,149,607 times, while the second - 1,186,747 times.
Polish President Andrzej Duda talked with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about buying the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, his aide Krzysztof Szczerski told state-run news agency PAP. "At the request of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the president also raised the question of Polish-Chinese cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, including the possibility of purchasing vaccines produced in China by Poland," PAP quoted Szczerski as saying.
Two scenarios possible
Prime minister's chief COVID-19 advisor prof. Andrzej Horban told TVN24 on Monday that "we're facing a serious increase in the number of infections". In his view, however, Poland should deal more easily with the third wave of infections, as the country has become more experienced during the second wave.
According to prof. Horban, the optimistic scenario assumes the daily number of infections to mirror the levels recorded in the fall - approx. 25,000 cases.
"The pessimistic scenario, not necessarily realistic, is that we will have 50-60 percent more infections, because the virus spreads more easily now, and therefore people are more susceptible to infection, and so more people will get infected. On the positive note is the fact that some people had already went through the disease" - prof. Horban said.
The chief COVID-19 advisor added that Poland should seriously take the pessimistic scenario into account and prepare for it. "One must never assume the optimistic outcome. One should always assume the situation will turn out worse than expected" - he advised.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters