The Health Department yesterday reported the second-highest number of daily infections (13,628) and deaths (179) on record as all of Poland moves into the red zone and infection rates continue to spike.
President Andrzej Duda was one of the over 13,000 cases reported on Saturday, with Presidential aide Błażej Spychalski confirming on Twitter that the president had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Duda reported in televised remarks late yesterday that he “feels good” and would be following established procedures for isolation and contact tracing.
Teenage tennis star Iga Świątek, who met with Duda on Friday to receive the Gold Cross of Merit, is one of several contacts who will be quarantining as a result of Duda’s diagnoses, along with several others he came into contact with during a visit to a field hospital in Warsaw on the same day.
In a recent press conference announcing additional COVID restrictions, Prime Minister Morawiecki urged those most at risk of complications from the disease — primarily seniors over the age of 70 — to stay at home to limit their exposure.
As of yesterday, all of Poland is now in the “red zone” for restrictions, a measure Morawiecki hopes “will have a positive effect in 10-14 days.” He went on to caution that “if further steps are needed, such as closing borders, a ban on movement or a complete lockdown, it will be necessary to take such a step.”
To help seniors “zostańwdomu” the Polish government has announced the formation of a “Solidarity Corps to Support Seniors” which includes the establishment of a special free hotline for seniors. By dialing 22 505 11 11, seniors can request help with activities outside the home, such as shopping or picking up medicines.
Of the 13,628 new cases of coronavirus confirmed on Saturday, the highest number (over 2,000) were reported in the region of Mazowia, followed by the regions of Małopolskie (1482) and Wielkoposkie (1472).
Here in Pomerania, 776 new cases were confirmed yesterday, along with 11 additional deaths. The hardest-hit areas are in the cities of Gdańsk (155) and Gdynia (77) and the powiat of Kartuzy (75).
The Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola, a city in southeastern Poland, has launched a virtual exhibition of the paintings by Alfons Karpiński, one of the leading visual artists of Polish modernism at the beginning of the 20th century.
The exhibition features 3D scans of 75 works by Karpiński, using them as a basis for exploring the technique and creative context of each of the painter’s works.
The exhibition is available in both Polish and English here: http://3d.muzeum.stalowawola.pl/
Thousands of people took to the streets across Poland yesterday for a third day of protests over a recent ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal that abortion of a malformed foetus violates the Polish constitution.
Protests took place in Trójmiasto as well, with police estimating some five thousand people in attendance at a march near the regional office of PiS in the city center of Gdańsk.
A smaller demonstration also took place in Gdynia, with several hundred demonstrators marching from Kościuszko Square along the main streets of the city to the parliamentary office of PiS MPs on ulica Starowiejska.
Six men accused of attacking police officers were detained in connection with the afternoon demonstrations in Gdańsk, while policemen in Gdynia used megaphones to remind participants to cover their nose and mouth and observe social distancing.
Sunday will be mostly sunny and pleasant, with a light breeze coming in from the south and a very little chance of rain. Temperatures will peak at 16°C, or 61°F, dropping to an overnight low of 9°C or 48°F. Clouds and a slight chance of rain will return overnight, with a mixture of sun and clouds set for tomorrow.
Elizabeth Beck/ako
