The Polish Ministry of Health announced on Friday that four new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) had been confirmed in Poland, raising the total number of confirmed cases to five.

According to Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski, „all patients are being provided with medical care” and no one’s condition was life-threatening. The new cases include two people in Szczecin who had recently returned from a trip to Italy, a patient in Wrocław, and a person who was traveling by coach with “patient zero,” the first person diagnosed with coronavirus in Poland. As of Saturday night, 146 people are under observation in hospitals, with 1,548 quarantined at home and 6,409 reportedly being monitored by SANEPID.

In response to the outbreak, the Polish Senate approved special rules on Friday to help combat the spread of the virus. Under the new rules, those suspected to have an infectious disease can be ordered to undergo treatment in a hospital, employers may instruct employees to work remotely, and parents can claim benefits in the event they must stay home and take care of children due to the closure of schools or nurseries.

The act was signed into law yesterday by Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Source: PAP, Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk

Coronavirus forces cancellation of popular events

On Friday, Gdynia mayor Wojciech Szczurek announced the cancellation of two major events in Gdynia this month due to the threat of coronavirus. The World Half-Marathon Championships and the 22nd annual National Meeting of Travelers, Sailors and Mountaineers, or “Kolosy” have both been postponed to next autumn.

The running competition, in which 30,000 people were set to take part, was postponed to October 17th, while the date of Kolosy has yet to be announced. According to Szczurek, the decision was made in consultation with the World Athletics Federation and was „guided by the concern for the safety of residents and our guests.”

Szczurek went on note that the city is ready to cancel additional events planned for April dependent upon the development of the coronavirus situation.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Polish women’s football team defeats Moldova in Euro 2021 qualifier

While yesterday’s matches ended in a disappointing loss for Arka and a draw for Lechia, the Polish national women’s team stomped Moldova 5:0 in Warsaw in their second qualifying match of the 2021 European Championships.

The 30th-ranked White and Red were strongly favored to dominate the 90th-ranked Moldovans, but the five-goal spread far exceeded the expectations of many, including head coach Miłosz Stępiński. The team heads to Baku on Wednesday for the first of two qualifying matches against Azerbaijan, a team which has yet to win any competitive matches.

All in all, 47 teams will be competing in the 2021 Women’s European Championship qualifiers, with Cyprus and Kosovo joining the competition for the first time. Poland’s rivals in Group D include the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Spain. The White and Red will have a rematch against Moldova and Azerbaijan in April before their first match against Czech Republic in September.

Source: PAP

Historic streetcar returns as part of Women’s Day celebrations

ZKM Gdańsk is offering passengers a special treat in celebration of International Women’s Day: a ride on a restored 105 N tram from 1952. The so-called “N-ka” tram will operate on the route from Strzyża PKM to Siedlce today from 10:30 to 18:00. Rides, as well as the accompanying flowers and greetings, are free.

The unique journey is possible due to the combined efforts of the Public Transport Department (Zakład Komunikacji Miejskiej) and the Pomeranian Association of Urban Transport Sympathizers (Pomorskie Stowarzyszenie Sympatyków Transportu Miejskiego).

Source: Radio Gdansk, gdansk.pl

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy and dry with a gentle breeze from the south picking up throughout the day. Temperatures will peak around a high of 8°C, or 46°F with little to no chance of rain and a good chance for some sunshine. Monday and Tuesday will see a bit warmer temps, with highs of up to 11°C or over 50°F forecast for Wednesday, accompanied by an increasing chance of rain into Thursday.

RG/Elizabeth Peck/ako