The Polish government announced plans yesterday to set up a special fund to compensate anyone whose health potentially suffers as a result of getting vaccinated.
According to government spokesman Piotr Muller, the fund is designed to help “clear up” any “doubts of those who still have them.” As part of its National Vaccine Strategy, the Polish government has launched a media campaign called Szczepimy Się (Let’s Get Vaccinated) to encourage residents to get COVID-19 shots.
Polish experts have urged people not to listen to anyone spreading rumors that coronavirus vaccines are unsafe. Frontline healthcare workers are first in line to be vaccinated, followed by pensioners in nursing homes, people over 60, police, soldiers, and teachers.
Poles who are not in the above priority groups will be able to sign up for COVID-19 shots starting January 15.
Regional SANEPID authorities have fined a nightclub owner in Gdańsk PLN 30,000 after police caught 213 people at his discotheque over the weekend.
According to police, the owner of the venue claimed he was hosting a practice session in which contestants were training for an upcoming dance competition. In a later tweet, Minister of Health Adam Niedzielski applauded SANEPID’s “quick and decisive” reaction and stressed the need for “Zero tolerance!” for those caught breaking quarantine rules.
In addition to the substantial fine, prosecutors are now investigating whether the event on Saturday posed a public health threat that put lives at risk, an offense that is punishable by up to eight years in jail.
Gatherings of more than five people are forbidden under current rules aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, which has killed over 27,000 people across Poland and continues to strain healthcare services across the country.
Top Polish ski jumper Kamil Stoch came in runner-up in the opening event of this season’s prestigious Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany, yesterday.
The three-time Olympic champion posted jumps of 125 and 132.5 meters to finish close behind Karl Geiger of Germany and ahead of Marius Lindvik of Norway.
The entire Polish team had initially been excluded from the Four Hills opener after one of its members, Klemens Murańka, tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. German health authorities later cleared the Poles for competition after all members tested negative on Monday.
Stoch has won the Four Hills Tournament twice before, during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons, while teammate Dawid Kubacki took top honors in last season’s competition.
The next round of competitions will take place on New Year’s Day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany, before moving on to Innsbruck, Austria, next week.
Tonight is the last night of the 14th annual “Metropolia Jest Okej” festival hosted by the Nadbałtyckie Centrum Kultury (Baltic Sea Cultural Center).
This year’s performances were a tribute to recent heroes, including health care workers and protesters in Belarus. Due to current coronavirus restrictions, the festival was held entirely online, with all events streamed free of charge on the cultural center’s Facebook page.
Tonight’s events will kick off at 17:00 with the Dada von Bzdülöw Theater, followed by
“Druga Fala” at 19:00 a concert featuring children of musicians who originally performed at the Tricity Alternative Stage in the 1980s.
For more information, visit the festival Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MetropoliaJestOkey.
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with a light breeze coming in from the south and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will remain above freezing during the day, with a high of 4°C, or 39°F, dropping to a low of -1°C or 30°F overnight. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain returning on the weekend.
Elizabeth Peck/ako
