The Polish Border Guard announced yesterday that Belarusian officers had fired warning shots at Polish soldiers patrolling along the shared border of the two countries.

Anna Michalska, a spokesperson for the Polish Border Guard, told reporters the bullets were fired on Thursday and „were probably blank.” Thankfully, „no one was hurt” in the exchange, according to Michalska, who went on to theorize that „perhaps the shots missed deliberately.”

The situation at the border has become increasingly tense in the past months, with Poland accusing Belarus of fighting a hybrid war by encouraging migrants and refugees to cross into Poland and Lithuania, often at great risk to their health.

Referring to the situation of the migrants at the border, Michalska reported two incidents on Friday in which families with children were detained by Polish authorities. The children were later taken to hospital with various illnesses, including pneumonia and complications due to diabetes.

Last week, Polish lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to extend a state of emergency in areas along the Polish border amid reports of increasing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers attempting to cross into Poland from Belarus.

Source: Radio Poland

The number of COVID cases and hospitalizations has been rising steadily over the past month, with health officials reporting 1,895 new coronavirus infections and 31 associated deaths yesterday.

Of the new cases confirmed on Friday, the most—396—were in the central region of Mazowieckie and the capital of Warsaw, and 87 cases were diagnosed in Pomerania. Over 2100 (2,141) mostly unvaccinated patients are currently in hospital with COVID-19, with 203 of these patients on ventilators to help them breathe.

Officials have encouraged residents to get vaccinated and follow health and sanitary requirements, such as wearing masks indoors and social distancing, to help curb the spread of the disease.

Last month, health officials warned that COVID-19 infections in the country could rise to up to 40,000 new cases a day as the Delta variant of the coronavirus begins to spread.

Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk

Warsaw’s landmark Stadion Narodowy will be getting a new name in honor of former Polish football coach Kazimierz Górski, who led the national team during its glory days in the 1970s.

The high-profile ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, follows a series of tributes earlier this year during which officials and fans commemorated Górski on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Górski, who was born in 1921 in present-day Lviv, Ukraine, is widely remembered as the most successful and most respected coach in Polish football history. He managed the national team when Poland won gold during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, when they finished third in the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, and when they grabbed silver in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

He later coached in Greece, returning to Poland to coach Legia Warszawa, the team he once played for, before taking charge of and later serving as honorary president of Poland’s post-Communist soccer association PZPN. He passed away in Warsaw on May 23, 2006, at the age of 85.

Source: Radio Poland, PAP

Poland’s national football team is set to play underdogs San Marino in a 2022 World Cup qualifier in Warsaw tonight.

The Polish team is currently ranked 24th in the world by football’s governing body FIFA, while San Marino are last in the FIFA table, at No. 210.

The Polish team demolished San Marino 7-1 on September 5, ahead of a critical game against England. They later went on to draw with England 1-1 on September 8.

After six rounds of fixtures, Poland is in third place in their qualifying group, behind England and Albania, with 11 points and a plus-11 goal differential.

The match against San Marino kicks off at 20:45 tonight at Warsaw’s National Stadium.

Source: Radio Poland, FIFA.com

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with very little chance of rain and a gentle breeze coming in from the southeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 13°C, or 56°F, dropping to a chilly overnight low of 2°C or 36°F. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rainclouds and cooler temperatures starting on Monday.

Elizabeth Peck/MarWer