Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced yesterday that new coronavirus restrictions covering the Easter holiday period will be unveiled today or tomorrow.

The move comes in response to a continued rise in coronavirus infections across Poland, combined with the increasingly limited availability of hospital beds and respirators.

According to Morawiecki, these actions are necessary to “be able to provide people with the possibility of treatment, so what happened last spring in the rich countries of Western Europe does not happen” here in Poland.

At the same time, he assured that there would be another round of funding for the so-called “crisis shield” for sectors most affected by the epidemic, such as hotels, restaurants, and the tourism industry.

A reported 7 million vaccine doses are set to reach Poland in the next four to five weeks, which is expected to help in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

In addition to the available vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna, Poland will also begin receiving the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine beginning in April.

The scheduled deliveries will put Poland on track to have another 7 million people vaccinated with at least the first dose by the end of April, according to statements made yesterday by Prime Minister Morawiecki. He went on to emphasize the importance of the vaccine as “the best remedy to combat the epidemic, and thus – the best remedy to return to normal economic life.”

According to government health data, nearly 5.1 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered across Poland as of Tuesday afternoon. Vaccination registrations are currently open for seniors between the ages of 60-64.

In remarks yesterday in Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could undermine the interests of a number of NATO allies, including Poland.

Speaking on his first visit to NATO headquarters as US Secretary of State, Blinken relayed the message of current US President Joe Biden, who “believes the pipeline is a bad idea, bad for Europe, bad for the United States.” Blinken added that the project was ultimately “in contradiction” to the “security goals” of the 27-nation European Union.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński welcomed Blinken’s statement, saying it “confirmed what Poland has been saying” about the Nord Stream 2 project “for a long time.” He then went on to call on the United States along with all EU and NATO countries “to stop this project, which is political and de facto military in nature—not a business project.”

Government and civic institutions are set to pay tribute today to Poles who helped save their Jewish neighbors during World War II as part of the “National Day of Remembrance of Poles who saved Jews under German occupation.”

According to the Institute of National Remembrance, the date of March 24th was chosen in tribute to the sacrifices of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their six children. The Ulmas, along with the Jewish family they had been hiding, were shot to death by German military police on March 24, 1944, in the village of Markowa near Łancut in Podkarpackie.

The Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem posthumously honored the Ulmas with the title of Righteous Among the Nations in 1995, and a museum in their name was opened in Markowa in 2016.

This year’s commemorative events will predominantly be held online or outdoors due to the coronavirus pandemic. This evening at 21:00 there will be a special screening on TVP1 of the documentary “Polmission. Passport Secrets.” The film tells the story of those saved thanks to the collaborative efforts of Jewish organizations, the Polish government in exile, Polish diplomats, and underground Polish intelligence.

Information in English on the history of the Ulma family and other Polish heroes can be found on the website of the POLIN museum.

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a light breeze coming in from the southeast and a slight chance of rain in the evening. Temperatures will be a bit warmer than yesterday, with an afternoon high of 9°C, or 43°F, dropping to a low of 2°C or 35°F overnight. Sunny, warmer weather is expected to return tomorrow, with a chance for rain showers again on Saturday.

Elizabeth Peck/ako