As of today, Poland has reopened its borders with all EU member states and the UK, with international flights set to resume next Tuesday (June 16). The decision means residents of fellow EU member states and Poles returning from elsewhere in the EU can now travel to Poland without being subjected to a mandatory quarantine period.

 Lithuania and Poland have already lifted their border restrictions as of yesterday.

Poland’s external EU borders – with Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine – remain closed. The European Commission has recommended opening external borders by July 1, though an official date has yet to be announced.

The lifting of restrictions also applies to UK residents, despite the UK having higher rates of infection and the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Europe. The UK currently has close to 300,000 confirmed cases and over 40,000 deaths, with over 1,500 new cases and 200 additional deaths confirmed as of yesterday.

Source: Radio Poland, PAP

Police and border guards in Gdynia thwart cocaine smugglers

Polish police and border guards in Gdynia recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle over three tons of cocaine worth a record PLN 3 billion hidden in barrels of frozen pineapple pulp.

The pulp was originally shipped from Ecuador to Poland via Germany, and raised suspicions as the company shipping the goods had recently changed ownership, had previously never been involved in the fruit export business, and reportedly had no buyers lined up in Poland.

Despite being scanned with an x-ray in Hamburg, the 6 barrels containing contraband remained undetected amidst a total complement of 144 barrels until an examination by Border Guard dogs in Gdynia indicated the presence of illicit drugs.

Three men between the ages of 64 and 71 years were detained in connection with the case, including a local man associated with the real estate industry in Pomerania.

Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk

Polish national football team keeps Top 20 FIFA ranking

Despite the prolonged suspension of international matches due to the COVID-19 health crisis, FIFA announced Thursday that Poland’s team would keep their No 19 spot in the world football rankings.

Belgium, who finished third in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, remains at the top of the FIFA rankings, just ahead of world champions France. Brazil is at No. 3, with England and Uruguay rounding out the No.4 and No.5 spots.

Earlier this year, the Polish team had been celebrating advancing to the European Football Championship for the fourth time after a successful qualifying campaign. As a result of the pandemic, however, the EURO 2020 was postponed until the summer of 2021.

Lechia Gdańsk fans also had cause to celebrate this week; despite a disappointing loss to 5th-ranked Cracovia on Tuesday, the white and green will nevertheless play in the championship group of the Polish Cup later this month.

Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk

Team of doctors makes medical history in Gdańsk

Doctors in Gdańsk made medical history this week after using a combination of surgery and chemotherapy to treat a seventh-month-old baby with abdominal cancer.

Until now, this type of treatment (intraperitoneal chemotherapy) had only been carried out on children over the age of two; the procedure carried out in Gdansk is reportedly the first in the world carried out on an infant.

The operation took place last week at the Gdańsk Medical University’s Department of Surgery and Urology of Children and Youth and was conducted by a team of doctors under the supervision of prof. dr hab. Piotr Czauderna and prof. dr hab Tomasz Jastrzębski.

After the operation, Dr. Czauderna was reportedly “feeling good about the surgery” and expressed his hope that the patient could be discharged at the end of the week.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

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Weather

Saturday will be partly cloudy but warmer than yesterday with very little chance of rain showers and a strong breeze coming in from the northeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 19°C, or 66°F, dropping to a low of 13°C or 55°F overnight. Mostly sunny skies are expected for tomorrow, with clouds and a chance for rain returning on Monday.

EP/ako