Christians worldwide again observed a socially-distanced Easter holiday as officials from various denominations called for congregants to prioritize safety over celebration during the ongoing pandemic.
Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski offered a glimmer of hope over the weekend, touting a 10% drop in infection rates compared to the previous week in March. He went on to emphasize that the disease’s progression would depend on how well Poles adhere to current hygiene and social distancing guidelines.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also called on Poles to celebrate Easter at home this year and spend time only with their immediate family.
Poland on Sunday reported 22,947 new coronavirus infections and 204 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to nearly 2,438,542 and fatalities to over 54,941.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
The head of the Association of Poles in Belarus and a senior member of the group have been charged as part of a criminal investigation into „inciting hatred,” according to local news media.
Sources close to Andżelika Borys and Irena Biernacka report that the two women were charged last Friday. They join two other members of the association, Andrzej Poczobut and Maria Tiszkowska, who were charged last Thursday, according to PAP.
Those arrested have been accused of engaging in actions around the „rehabilitation of Nazism,” which carries a potential jail sentence of up to 12 years. The charges are reportedly in response to a recent ceremony in which the Polish minority in Belarus commemorated Poland’s post-World War II anti-communist resistance fighters.
The detentions of members of the Polish minority in Belarus have caused an outcry in Poland, as diplomatic officials and community advocates seek to build international pressure to have the charges dropped.
Source: Radio Poland
Polish sports fans are celebrating after tennis star Hubert Hurkacz won the Miami Open tennis tournament in the men’s singles division over the weekend.
The 24-year-old pulled off a straight-set 7-6, 6-4 victory over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday, becoming the first Pole to win a singles’ Masters 1000 title.
After his triumph in the tournament in the US state of Florida, Hurkacz is expected to climb in the rankings to world No. 16, a career best.
Hurkacz faced off against second-seeded Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinal last week and later went on to defeat Russia’s Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-final.
President Andrzej Duda hailed Hurkacz’s victory in the tournament as a „great success.”
Source: Radio Poland
A special concert featuring carillon and trumpets will be performed from the tower of the Main Town Hall in Gdańsk later today, in celebration of the Easter holiday.
The 40-minute concert will feature music from the 16th to the 18th century and will be performed by Monika Kaźmierczak on the carillon and Paweł Hulisz and Emil Miszk on trumpet.
Gdańsk is the only city in Poland with active carillons. The tradition of playing this instrument during special events dates back to the 16th century, with trumpets being added as holiday accompaniment from the 19th century onward.
The concert can be heard live starting at 13:00 in the vicinity of the Main Town Hall at ul. Długa and Długi Targ, or online on the „Carillony gdańskie” facebook page of the Gdańsk Museum.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and wet, with winds coming in from the southeast and a good chance of rain throughout the day. Temperatures will remain on the cool side, with an afternoon high of 7°C, or 44°F, dropping to a low of 0°C or 32°F overnight. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain or snow expected throughout the week.
EP/am
