The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has called for calm amid growing panic about the coronavirus outbreak spread through Europe.
Speaking yesterday at a special session of the Polish parliament, the PM urged people not to panic and said Poland is ready for an outbreak in the country.
Morawiecki also warned about the spread of rumours and misinformation online and in media.
In related news, the European Union’s disease prevention and control agency has raised the risk level posed by the virus to 'high’. The UK is likewise expecting a significant increase in cases.
No cases have been confirmed in Poland so far, despite some reports in some news outlets. There’s also been panic buying with some stores running out of supplies of facemasks and hand sanitizer. Health authorities have warned against panic buying and hoarding as supplies for medical personnel are at risk of running out.
The head of the World Health Organisation has said the virus is unique, but has stressed that it can be contained.
Here in Gdansk, the city website is hosting a live information show with a medical expert at 2pm this afternoon on Gdansk.pl
Super Tuesday Primaries underway
Over in the United States, voting in under way in the Super Tuesday primaries.
Super Tuesday is the biggest day of the 2020 election so far and in some 14 states, Democrats and Republicans will be choosing who they want their candidate to be in the main election in November.
Donald Trump is guaranteed the Republican nomination, but the Democratic votes are much more uncertain.
So far, the left wing Bernie Sanders is in the lead with strong momentum. But former Vice President Joe Biden is not far behind and has been catching up recently after a disappointing start last month.
On Sunday, one of the early leaders Pete Buttigieg dropped out. Yesterday, moderate contender Amy Klobuchar announced she would also drop out and support Joe Biden.
14 states are voting today including California, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Texas.
New Biometric ID for Brits in Europe
Here in Europe, British citizens living in the EU are set to be given a new identity card-style document as proof of their right to live in the EU after Brexit. That’s according to reports by Politico.
The new biometric documents are expected to look like residency cards for other third country nationals but with a section explaining the right to residence comes from the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and EU.
British citizens living in Poland should be able to apply for the card later this year ahead of the transition period ending on December 31st.
The card will allow the user to access public services and prove identity in the same way as a passport or ID card.
Meanwhile in the UK, European citizens living in the country are to be given so-called 'digital-proof’ via an online portal with a login and password.
Pietas Domini to return to Gdansk
And finally today, a 15th century altar painting is to be returned to St Mary’s church later this month after nearly 80 years missing.
The Pietas Domini altar painting, along with a great many other priceless artefacts, left the church between 1942 and 1944, at the hight of the Second World War. The Pietas Domini was considered the most tragic loss of all the monuments taken from the church.
The painting was rediscovered in the 1990s in Berlin, where it had been kept at an evangelical church and later at the Gemäldegalerie art museum.
Now, after three years of talks, the churches in Berlin are sending the painting back to its original home, where they’re expected to be back in places on the 15th march.
Weather
Rain is expected throughout the afternoon and into this evening but looking significantly brighter and drier tomorrow with temperatures reaching about 7°C, that’s 44°F.
RG/TH/ak
