Travelers arriving in Poland from outside the Schengen area must now undergo a 10-day quarantine under rules that came into force over the weekend.
The move comes in response to increasing concerns over the rapid spread of the more infectious Delta variant, particularly in the UK. Within Europe, the restrictions will particularly affect travel to and from Poland to the UK, Ireland, Croatia, and Bulgaria, which are not Schengen members.
The new regulations do not apply to people fully inoculated against the coronavirus with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
For those coming from within the Schengen area, which comprises 22 European Union countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, no quarantine is needed. The quarantine requirement can be lifted after seven days for those who can produce a test result showing they do not have COVID-19.
Source – Polskie Radio, PAP
Poland on Saturday reported only 100 new coronavirus infections and 21 deaths, down from a high of 35,251 single-day cases and 954 deaths reported in April.
Of the new cases confirmed on Saturday, the most—12—were in the eastern province of Lubelskie, which is home to the major city of Lublin. In Pomerania, six new cases and 1 additional death were reported on Saturday.
Much of the decline in case numbers has been attributed to the success of Poland’s ongoing vaccination efforts. As of Friday, Poland had administered nearly 16.5 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with more than 12 million people registered as being fully inoculated.
Source – Polskie Radio, Ministerstwo Zdrowia, Radio Gdańsk
A new statue unveiled in the British town of Newark-on-Trent commemorates Irena Sendler, a Polish nurse credited with saving hundreds of Jewish children during World War II.
Using her medical connections, Sendler was able to rescue some 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto by hiding them in Polish families, orphanages, and monasteries. She famously wrote down the names and addresses of the children in code and buried the slips of paper in jars under an apple tree, effectively preserving a record of their Jewish identities.
Sendler was eventually arrested and tortured by the Gestapo in October 1943 but managed to escape before being executed, later fleeing to the UK, where she passed away in 2008 at the age of 98.
She was a recipient of Poland’s highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle, as well as a two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and a recipient of the “Righteous Among the Nations” designation by Israel’s Vad Yashim institute.
For more on Irena Sendler, visit the online Google Arts & Culture exhibition about her life.
Source – Polskie Radio, PAP
Women’s football teams from all over Poland will showcase their talents, along with their sportsmanship, during today’s “Girls Play Fair” tournament in Gdańsk.
Teams were qualified by a special committee, which considered athleticism along with the team’s reputation for fair play. In addition to the football competition, there will be an option for fans to win prizes for “positive cheering” — another goal of the Girls Play Fair tournament.
Events kicked off earlier this morning at the Gdańsk Sports Center Stadium (GOKF) at 244 Grunwaldzka and will wrap up this evening around 18:00. More information is available on the tournament facebook page.
Source – Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be a mix of clouds and sun, with a light breeze coming in from the north and a good chance of rain showers throughout the afternoon. Temperatures will peak around a high of 22°C, or 71°F, staying warm overnight with a low of only 14°C or 57°F. Additional sun and warmer temps will return tomorrow, with Tuesday set to be pleasantly warm and sunny.
MC/am
