Health minister: if COVID cases do not fall, we'll have to extend restrictions

While some European countries like Austria and Slovakia are once again imposing stricter regulations, Poland has stressed the importance of enforcing current rules about masks and social distancing rather than implementing tougher curbs. "In the case where we do not have signals that say that we are reaching the peak and cases will fall ... we will have to increase restrictions," Adam Niedzielski told a news conference, adding that he thought cases would likely peak in the next week and a half. Poland reported 28,380 daily COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the health ministry said, a record for the fourth wave of the pandemic. The ministry also reported 460 deaths. Neighbouring Slovakia ordered a two-week lockdown to quell the world's fastest rise in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, following the example of Austria. Niedzielski said increased restrictions in Poland would involve lowering limits for how many people are allowed in places like cinemas and lowering the number of people allowed at public gatherings. Poland, a country of around 38 million, has reported 3,406,129 cases of the coronavirus and 81,688 deaths in total. Only about 54% of Poles are vaccinated against COVID-19, significantly lower than the EU average.

A meeting between parliamentary leaders regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, organised by the Speaker of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek, was held on Wednesday.

Witek said after the talks that the participants have found common ground, and that a "working meeting" with the Health Ministry would be organised.

Other participants, Magdalena Sroka from Accord, and Szymon Hołownia from Poland 2050, have criticised the course of the discussion. "There's no will to act, there's will to constant debating and shifting responsibility. A sad display of helplessness and lack of social empathy," Sroka said.