Efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 suffered a setback yesterday as the number of cases rose sharply, with Poland reporting the largest increase in new cases since the first case was confirmed on 4 March. As of yesterday evening, 52 new cases had been reported, with the Ministry of Health reporting an additional 28 cases as of 9:00 this morning.
Of the 28 new patients diagnosed via laboratory tests, six are from the region of Pomerania. The five younger patients are reportedly in good condition, with one older patient listed as stable according to Dziennik Bałtycki. It is unknown at this time if the six cases are connected with the 18 people currently in hospital due to suspected infection or the nearly 500 people currently under home quarantine in Pomerania.
The virus also claimed two more victims in Poland, including a 67-year-old man being treated in hospital in Łancut in the province of Podkarpackie, and a 57-year-old man in Wałbrzych in the province of Lower Silesia. Both reportedly had underlying medical conditions and were in a poor state of health before being infected. The two deaths bring Poland’s overall total to 5.
As of 9:30 this morning, 205 cases of COVID-19 have diagnosed in Poland, which includes the 5 patients who have died and 13 people who have since recovered. All in all, there are currently 187 active cases.
Health minister issues sobering prognosis
Polish Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski issued a warning yesterday that the number of infections in Poland was likely to rise rapidly and that the peak of the outbreak was still 3-4 weeks away.
According to Szumowski, “We have to be prepared that this week we will have a four-digit total in terms of the number of people infected and this growth will be rapid.” Rzeczpospolita reports that 10,000 hospital beds and 700 respirators have been prepared in anticipation of such a scenario. In addition to other restrictive measures, the Polish government announced yesterday it was suspending all domestic flights in order to try and slow the spread of the infection.
Some 30,000 people currently in quarantine across In Poland will be joined by newly appointed Minister of the Environment Michał Woś, who announced yesterday that he had tested positive after being exposed to an employee from the Department of State Forestry who had recently been diagnosed. Both are reportedly doing well.
Overcrowding in US airports as EU travel ban takes effect
American travelers returning home over the weekend faced massive queues and delays in major airports while awaiting screening checks for the presence of coronavirus.
The chaotic situation led one American politician, Illinois governor JB Pritzer, to issue an exasperated appeal via Twitter to President Trump and Vice-President Pence to “do something NOW” to address the overcrowding and lack of social distancing at major airports.
In response, Trump tweeted on Sunday that “We are doing very precise Medical Screenings at our airports” and asked passengers to “Pardon the interruptions and delays” explaining that it was “very important that we be vigilant and careful.”
Thousands of Americans were forced to return home suddenly after a ban on travel from 28 (previously 26) European countries went into force on March 14th. Canada announced yesterday it would be following suit and restricting entry to residents and American citizens only, and a similar ban on travel into the EU was announced yesterday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain during the day and a light breeze coming in from the southwest. Temperatures will peak around a high of 11°C, or 52°F in the afternoon before dropping to 6°C or 42°F overnight. Tomorrow is set to be coudy and a bit warmer with temperatures set to drop as the week progresses
EP/ako
