Over 10 million people in Poland are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to official figures, with more than 25 million doses administered in total.
The figure puts Poland slightly above the EU average for fully vaccinated people, with 26% of Polish residents having received two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
Gdansk and Sopot are doing especially well, with both cities leading the country in terms of fully vaccinated people. According to data released by the Ministry of Health, more than 38% of people in Gdansk country had been fully vaccinated and almost 40% in Sopot.
But vaccinations with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could be set to slow down next month as deliveries of the drug are expected to drop by almost half. According to the Government’s Strategic Reserve Agency – which is managing vaccine supply – only second doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be offered through July.
The Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not currently affected.
The United States and Russia have agreed to talks on cybercrime and nuclear weapon controls following a highly anticipated meeting between the two countries’ presidents. US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Geneva on Wednesday for three hours of talks.
Speaking at separate press conferences after yesterday’s meeting, both presidents praised the tone of the talks, with Mr Biden describing them as „positive” and Mr Putin saying there was no hostility. The two sides reportedly agreed to further talks on issues including cybercrime and nuclear weapons control, as well as agreeing to return ambassadors to each other’s capitals.
The meeting wraps up President Biden’s first overseas journey as president, after meeting with G7 leaders in Cornwall last week and the NATO summit in Brussels earlier this week.
In Gdansk, there is debate this week over plans to build a new theme park on the city’s outskirts, with residents raising concerns over traffic, noise, and crowds. Building permits have already been issued for the proposed 'Majaland’, a five-hectare theme park based on the 'Adventures of Maya the Bee’ children’s books, planned for Gdansk’s Osowa district.
The plans are set to be discussed with residents of the district at a special meeting next Monday.
In other news today, Americans will soon have a new national holiday after lawmakers voted overwhelmingly approved plans to make Juneteenth a federal day off. Juneteenth, or June 19th, remembers the end of slavery in the US and marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned that they had been freed.
The plans to make the day a holiday met with no major opposition in the US Congress, a rare show of unity between Democrats and Republicans.
Weather
With a glut of warm tropical air pushing up into Poland, temperatures could reach 35°C in some parts of the country, that’s 95°F.
A bit cooler here on the coast with temperatures up in the high 20s celsius today, that’s around 80°F. Pushing up into the low 30s here as we go into the weekend, though.
Not much relief from the wind, with only a light breeze expected. Add to that a high UV factor of 6 and it’s looking like a very summery weekend on the way.
If you’re outside, remember to cover up and wear sunscreen and avoid the worst of the sun around midday.
Thomas Holdstock/MarWer
