Polish President Andrzej Duda has formally congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden and invited him to visit Poland following the confirmation of Biden’s victory by the Electoral College on Monday.
In a letter posted on his official website, Duda wished the incoming 46th President “a very successful term,” describing the relationship between the two countries as a “shining beacon of what a true strategic partnership is, and what can be achieved while working together.”
The US remains one of Poland’s key strategic allies, particularly in the areas of defense and energy security. As Duda noted in his letter, the US recently agreed to provide “a considerable amount of funding” to the Polish-led Three Seas Initiative, a regional drive by several European countries aiming to carry out joint infrastructure, energy, and digital projects.
Poland plans to spend PLN 3 billion (EUR 675m, USD 820m) on over 60 million doses of coronavirus vaccines under the National Immunization Program announced by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki yesterday.
According to Morawiecki, the vaccines will be free and voluntary, with “the national goal to vaccinate as many people as possible” beginning sometime in January. First in line to be inoculated will be health care staff, followed by pensioners in care homes, people over 60 (with the oldest given priority), followed by police, soldiers, and then teachers.
Despite the welcome news, officials stressed the need to remain vigilant about protective and sanitary measures currently in place, with Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska predicting that face masks, social distancing, and disinfection requirements would remain in place until the summer.
An ambitious government plan to offer financial help to companies affected by coronavirus restrictions was signed into law by Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday.
The support package, known as Anti-Crisis Shield 6.0, was approved by the Polish parliament earlier this week. Under the new law, companies active in around 40 sectors will temporarily be exempt from social insurance contributions, eligible for a range of subsidies, and compensated for required closures.
The measure is expected to benefit some 270,000 businesses across Poland, in particular restaurants, bars, and gyms, which were forced to close after tougher measures to battle COVID-19 were reinstated earlier this year.
Since imposing additional lockdown measures in October, Poland’s daily infection rates have been declining, with 6,907 new coronavirus infections and 349 deaths reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 1,147,446 and fatalities to 23,309.
President Andrzej Duda will be visiting Trójmiasto tomorrow to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the December 1970 workers’ strikes in the region.
Earlier this morning, active and retired employees of the Gdańsk Shipyard lit candles and laid flowers at the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers in Plac Solidarność in tribute to those injured and killed by government militias during the wave of strikes.
A solemn mass for the victims will be held at 17.00 today in the Basilica of Sw. Brygida in the center of Gdańsk. Meanwhile, outdoors in Plac Solidarność, the chamber choir Schola Cantorum Gedanensis, accompanied by the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform “Lacrimosa,” a piece composed by Krzysztof Penderecki especially for the unveiling of the Monument.
More information on the events in Gdańsk and Gdynia can be found online HERE.
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cool, with a light breeze coming in from the west and a slight chance of rain. Temperatures will be warmer than yesterday with a high of 7°C, or 44°F, dropping to a low of 2°C or 36°F. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain Thursday night.
Elizabeth Peck/ako
