Warsaw’s Chopin international airport has announced additional precautions for travelers as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread around the globe.
Airport authorities announced on Friday that passengers traveling directly from China are obliged to fill out additional screening documentation and contact information for emergency services. Lotnisko Chopina is the only airport in Poland offering direct connections to China via a regular flight to Beijing on LOT airlines and AirChina.
Poland’s Chief Sanitary Inspector (GIS) Jarosław Pinkas reported last week that Poland is prepared to „respond adequately to the developing situation” and appealed for calm. According to The Guardian, the virus has killed 56 people and infected over 2,000, with new cases being reported in the US, Europe and Australia as of Sunday morning.
Source: Radio Poland, The Guardian
EXPATS CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA DAY TODAY BY VOLUNTEERING
A group of Australian expats from Warsaw are spending Australia Day cleaning up trash in Bielański forest in a bid to raise funds to support animals affected by the catastrophic bushfires. According to campaign organizer Phil Forbes, „…we want to show people that we ought to care for the environment where we live because it is part of the bigger, global environment, a massive part of which is burning and will continue to burn for weeks”.
As reported on their GoFundMe page, the campaigners are collecting donations for Wildlife Victoria, a nonprofit which cares for sick, injured and homeless animals. Estimates suggest that upwards of 500 million animals have been killed and one-third of their habitat destroyed by the catastrophic Australian bushfires.
For more information on the “Aussies in Warsaw bushfire relief fund” visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/warsawbushfire?fbclid=IwAR0ZTWfwkQHy2XN6U3JFnPtMeBMoDcnLHruaJp13O55XpLS0ZJ6UjA1bPC8
Source: Radio Poland
ŚWIĄTEK ADVANCES TO ROUND FOUR OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Polish tennis phenom Iga Świątek defeated her Croatian opponent Donna Vekić yesterday to advance to the fourth round of the Women’s Singles competition at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
As in previous matches, the 18-year-old Pole, currently ranked 56th by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), saw off her 19th-ranked Croatian rival in two quick sets (7-5, 6-3).
Swiątek will face off next against 28th-ranked Anette Kontaveit of Estonia Monday afternoon in Australia, with the match airing live in Poland at 2:30am Monday morning.
Fans can also catch Swiątek in action Monday at 6:15am in the second round of the Mixed Doubles competition, when she and partner Łukasz Kubot will face the fourth-ranked Taiwanese-Australian team of Chan Hao-ching and Michael Venus.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
CALLING ALL ASPIRING PLAYWRIGHTS
The British Council is calling for any aspiring playwrights to submit a radio drama as part of the 2020 International Radio Playwriting Competition.
Interested applicants must submit a script for a 53-minute radio play in English before the deadline on January 31st; the competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 and living outside of the UK. The two winning applicants will receive a cash prize of £2,500, a trip to London, and the opportunity to see their play recorded and broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Entrants can apply online, via post, or in person at their local British Council office. Information about how to apply, including tips for writing scripts, can be found on the British Council website or by contacting the organizers directly at theatreanddance@britishcouncil.org
Source: British Council
WEATHER
Today will be mostly cloudy and overcast with a slight chance of rain in the afternoon and a light breeze from the southwest. Temperatures will average around 3 degrees Celsius, or 37 degrees Fahrenheit, with freezing temps forecast overnight. You can expect slightly warmer weather tomorrow with similar cloudy skies and a chance for rain around midday and again in the evening.
RGEN/EP
