In Poland, current sanitary restrictions have been extended until the end of next week. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announced the decision yesterday, with current rules now set to continue at least until Sunday, April 18th.
Non-essential shops, venues, and cultural sites will all remain closed. Restaurants and cafes will be able to serve only take-away orders.
Schools will continue to work online for all year groups and kindergartens and nurseries will only accommodate children of medical and emergency services personnel.
Gatherings of more than five people remain prohibited as well as weddings, communions, and funeral receptions.
The news comes as the Polish healthcare system struggles to cope with a third wave of the epidemic in the country.
However, new case numbers have begun to plateau in recent days and have shown early signs of easing off, raising hopes that continued restrictions coupled with vaccination efforts are taking their effect.
There’s also more positive news from the UK this week, as scientists there say data shows mass vaccinations have begun to break the link between case numbers and deaths.
EU drug regulators have said there is a link between the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and cases of unusual blood clots.
Experts at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which has been investigating the isolated reports of blood clots, yesterday suggested that the blood clots be listed as a rare side effect of the vaccine.
The EMA added that the health benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the small risk of blood clots and suggested that vaccinations continue.
EMA experts made the decision after investigating 86 cases of blood clots in people around Europe who had taken the vaccine. 18 of the cases were fatal. 25 million Europeans have so far been given the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Experts at the World Health Organization have described the connection between the clots and the vaccine as „plausible” but add that it is not yet known if the vaccine is the direct cause.
In a related development, the UK’s drugs regulator yesterday recommended that younger people be offered an alternative vaccine by Pfizer or Moderna – pointing out that for younger people the risk to benefit balance of the vaccine may be more even than in older people, for whom the virus can be more dangerous.
New figures from Poland’s Ministry of Labour show unemployment fell last month to 6.4%.
At the end of March, around 1,079,800 people were out of work, down by nearly 20,000 from the month before.
The figures come after Eurostat – the European Union’s statistics service – revealed that Poland had overtaken the Czech Republic to have the lowest unemployment rate in the Union.
Eurostat, which measures unemployment differently to the labour ministry, put unemployment in Poland at 3.1%.
Airlines have begun announcing new flights from Gdansk for the summer holidays.
Budget airlines Wizz Air and Ryanair have both announced new routes from Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport to the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini.
Starting in June, Wizz will launch twice-weekly flights to the islands, with Ryanair joining from early July.
Weather
Mostly sunny today with cloudy patches in some parts.
Temperatures slightly milder at 8C this afternoon, that’s 46F.
A small chance of an odd shower later on, but looking mostly dry with a strong breeze from the west.
Tomorrow looking milder but overcast with gusty winds.
Radio Gdansk News/Thomas Holdstock
