Polish government on Wednesday (May 13) announced the third stage of easing coronavirus restrictions. From May 18 on, restaurants and hairdressers will be allowed to return to business. PM Morawiecki also said that schools would also partially reopen. Health minister informed that the coronavirus reproduction rate in Poland has fallen below 1.
Poland will reopen restaurants and hairdressers next Monday as it eases coronavirus-linked restrictions, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. The largest economy of the European Union's eastern members, started relaxing some of its curbs on public life in April. Earlier in May it allowed hotels, shopping centres and kindergartens to reopen.
"At least to some extent we have contained the epidemic, therefore we can gradually unfreeze the economy," Morawiecki told a news conference, a day after Poland saw its largest rise in coronavirus cases in a single day. Morawiecki also said that schools would partially reopen to provide day care for children in the first three years of primary school.
Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski told reporters that the coronavirus reproduction rate had fallen below 1 in Poland, meaning that statistically speaking one infected person led to fewer than one new infections in other people. The further easing of restrictions came amid a dispute between the government and opposition over how and when to hold elections which were originally scheduled for May 10.
Late on Tuesday, Poland's lower house of parliament voted in favour of legislation allowing for a mixture of postal voting and traditional voting at polling stations. On Wednesday Morawiecki said he hoped the election would be held in June.
Borders still closed
Poland will extend its strict border controls until June 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, its Interior Ministry said on Wednesday. Poland closed its borders to foreigners in March to stop the spread of the coronavirus and has extended the restriction four times since then.
Polish citizens, diplomats, foreigners with the legal right to live in Poland and foreign professional drivers can enter Poland at selected checkpoints. While keeping borders closed, Poland is easing some other curbs imposed earlier. It has reopened shopping malls, hotels, outdoor playgrounds and allowed kindergartens to restart.
As of May 13, Poland has 17,204 confirmed coronavirus cases and 861 deaths. On Tuesday, the country saw its largest spike in new coronavirus cases in one day due to a rapid growth in infections among coal miners.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters
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