COVID-19 pandemic in Poland

Confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections in individual voivodships (card animation covers the period from March 4 to April 2, 2020)

The COVID-19 pandemic occurs in Poland as part of the global COVID-19 pandemic . Confirmed and suspected cases relate to the novel disease COVID-19 . It is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Coronaviridae group and belongs to the group of respiratory diseases . The pandemic began in Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei in December 2019 . On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel virus as a global pandemic .

On March 13, 2020, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski announced the lockdown of Poland and the closure of the borders ; many Polish companies were hard hit.

Gradual easing of the lockdown began in mid-April .

course

Number of confirmed infections (blue) and deaths (red) according to the ECDC .

On March 4, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 disease was confirmed in Poland. The patient was treated in the isolation ward of the hospital in Zielona Góra . He stated that he had previously attended the carnival in German North Rhine-Westphalia . On March 12, 2020, the first death was assigned to the pandemic.

By August 28, 2020, a total of 65,480 infected, 2,018 dead and 44,785 recovered were reported.

On June 6th and 7th, 576 and 575 new COVID cases were registered across Poland; The focus on both days was on the mining region of Silesia ( Upper Silesian industrial area , the second largest conurbation in Poland). Twelve mines (ten of the PGG group and two of the Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa company ) were therefore closed for three weeks.

statistics

The number of cases developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland as follows:

Infections

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Poland
according to WHO data

New infections in Poland
according to WHO data

Deaths

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Poland
according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (daily) in Poland
according to WHO data

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Cases reported to WHO by national authorities are listed here. Since this is a very dynamic situation, there may be discrepancies or delays between the cases of the WHO and the data of national authorities as well as the information provided by other bodies such as Johns Hopkins University .

Reactions and measures from politics and science

The following important information is missing from this article or section:

Economic, cyclical and social policy measures, Tarcza Antykryzysowa etc.

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Regulatory measures

On March 9, 2020, the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that he would introduce health checks at the border crossings of the main traffic axes.

Morawiecki also announced on March 11, 2020 that classes in schools in Poland would initially be suspended from March 12 to March 25, 2020; at the same time kindergartens and crèches would be closed. The first two days were considered a transition period during which children and young people were looked after but not taught. The state and private universities and technical colleges were also closed.

The Polish Minister of Health Łukasz Szumowski issued an ordinance on March 13, 2020 , which essentially comprised the following measures:

• End of cross-border passenger air and train traffic from March 15, 2020 ( freight traffic was not affected)
• Closure of Polish borders to foreigners from March 15, 2020 (Polish citizens and holders of a residence or work permit are not affected)
• Mandatory 14-day quarantine for Polish citizens arriving from abroad from March 15, 2020

In addition, restrictions for certain companies were announced on March 13, 2020: restaurants , cafes and bars were still allowed to sell food, but consumption on site was prohibited. There were also restrictions for shopping centers : in these, only pharmacies , grocery stores , drug stores and laundries were allowed to remain open. All public, state, and religious gatherings with more than 50 participants were prohibited. At the same time, all fitness studios , swimming pools , saunas , discos , sports clubs , museums , libraries , amusement arcades and cinemas were closed.

On March 20, 2020, the government declared the state of epidemic (previously the country had been in a state of epidemic risk since March 14, 2020 (Polish Stan zagrożenia epidemicznego )). This gives the government the power to issue ordinances which

• temporarily restrict the freedom of movement of citizens
• temporarily restrict or prohibit the movement or use of certain objects and foods
• temporarily restrict operation in certain facilities and workplaces
• Prohibit events and public gatherings
• Order hygiene measures if their implementation relates to the operation of certain production, service, trading or other facilities
• order the provision of real estate, premises, land and means of transport for the purpose of epidemic defense
• Order mandatory vaccinations for certain groups of people.

The legal basis for this is the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infections and Infectious Diseases in Humans (Polish : Ustawa o zapobieganiu oraz zwalczaniu zakażeń i chorób zakaźnych u ludzi ).

At the same time, further measures were decided, such as increasing the penalty for unauthorized leaving an ordered quarantine from 5,000 to 30,000 zloty . Schools and universities were instructed to conduct e-learning classes ; the previously ordered closure of these facilities until March 25, 2020 was extended to April 10, 2020. In addition, 19 hospitals have been designated as specialty hospitals for infectious diseases . These should only treat patients with suspected COVID-19 infection.

On March 24, 2020, the government announced the introduction of additional measures, including restrictions on individual freedom of movement; From now on, only journeys to and from work, for (voluntary) support of those in need and for carrying out necessary activities of daily life are allowed. Group sizes of more than two people were prohibited in public, unless they were family members. A maximum occupancy of 50% of the seat capacity was ordered for public transport . All kinds of gatherings, meetings, events and other gatherings were prohibited. Religious events are still an exception; however, these are limited to a maximum of five participants. Workplaces are excluded from this ban on assembly

On March 31, 2020, the government announced an extensive list of additional measures that will apply from April 1, 2020:

• In stores the maximum number of customers to three times the number is to cash limited
• At markets , fairs , stalls and bazaars , the maximum number of people present was limited to three times the number of points of sale
• In post offices , the maximum number of people present was to double the number of switches is limited
• Hardware stores must remain closed on weekends
• From April 2, 2020, all customers in shops must wear disposable gloves
• Between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon, shops and service providers are only allowed to serve people over 65 years of age. Exceptions are petrol stations (open to everyone) and pharmacies ( open between 10:00 and 12:00 also for people under the age of 65 if there is an immediate threat to the life or health of the customer).
• Closure of all hotels and other accommodations (exceptions exist for people in isolation or quarantine, medical staff, people on business trips and assemblies as well as people whose stay began before March 31, 2020)
• Extension of the mandatory quarantine to all people who live in a household with someone who is already in quarantine
• Closure of all hairdressers , beauty salons, tattoo and piercing studios
• Suspension of all rehabilitation treatments and massages (exceptions exist if the measure is absolutely necessary for the patient's health)
• Prohibition of staying in public for children and young people up to the age of 18 unless they are supervised by a parent or legal guardian
• Closure of all beaches and public green spaces , parks , promenades , boulevards , botanical and zoological gardens as well as a ban on the use of borrowable city bikes
• Mandatory minimum distance of two meters between pedestrians (exceptions exist for parents with children up to the age of 13 in need of care, people with disabilities and their carers, and people with limited mobility)
• General arrangement of teleworking for employees of all public institutions (exceptions exist in cases in which the completion of the essential tasks in teleworking cannot be ensured)
• Limitation of the maximum number of passengers to 50% of the seat capacity in all means of transport with more than nine seats (i.e. also in non-public means of transport) from April 2, 2020
• Obligation of measures for employee protection for all companies from April 2, 2020 (use of disposable gloves or provision of disinfectants , minimum distance between two workplaces of 1.5 m; exceptions are permitted if the objective conditions make it impossible to maintain the distance, e.g. in production lines, in these cases the employer must provide suitable protective equipment )

On April 9, 2020, the government announced that it would be mandatory to wear mouth and nose protection in public from April 16, 2020 . Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski later made it clear that the face could also be covered with other suitable means, such as a scarf or a cloth , instead of a mouth and nose mask.

The previously issued travel restrictions (border controls, etc.) were extended on May 13, 2020 to June 12, 2020.

Relaxation of the measures

On April 16, 2020, the government announced that it wanted to relax the previously ordered measures in four steps.

Retail, religious establishments, parks and forests

In the first step, which is to apply from April 20, 2020, the following measures apply:

• Increase the maximum number of customers in shops to four times the number of checkouts in shops with less than 100 m² sales area ; in larger shops to one customer per 15 m² sales area
• Reopening parks and forests for recreational purposes (however, clearance rules remain in effect)
• Increase the maximum number of participants in Holy Mass and other religious events to one person per 15 m² of space in the religious facility
• Lifting of the curfew for adolescents over 13 years of age (younger children are only allowed to be in public under the supervision of a parent or a guardian)

The scope of the following further steps has been defined, but the timing of implementation is still open. In the second step, the following easing should also be implemented:

• Hardware stores reopen on weekends
• Reopening of hotels and other accommodations
• Reopening of certain cultural institutions: libraries, museums and art galleries

In the third step:

• Reopening of hairdressing salons and cosmetic studios
• Reopening of stores in shopping centers (with restrictions)
• Resumption of on-site consumption in catering establishments (with restrictions)
• Admission of sporting events up to 50 people outside closed rooms and without an audience
• Resumption of childcare in day nurseries and kindergartens as well as lessons in school classes 1 to 3 (with a limit on the number of children in the room)

In the fourth step:

• Reopening of massage studios and solariums
• Reopening of gyms and sports clubs
• Reopening of theaters and cinemas (with increased hygiene requirements)

Schools and colleges

On April 24, the government announced that it would take the exams for university entrance qualification ("egzaminy maturalne"), comparable to the German Abitur, from June 8 to 29, 2020, as well as the final exams of the eight-year elementary school in Poland ("egzaminy ósmoklasiste" ) from June 16 to 18, 2020. Oral examinations should not take place and distance rules between the examinees should ensure the safety of all those involved. The application process of the colleges and universities is to be modified so that the new Matura dates do not represent an obstacle to starting a course. Research at colleges and universities remains unrestricted. In addition, the closure of schools, kindergartens and crèches has been extended until May 24, 2020.

Open-air sports facilities

On April 25, the reopening of selected sports facilities (outside of closed rooms) was announced:

• Stadiums, playgrounds, facilities for motor sports and air sports , golf courses , equestrian facilities , shooting ranges , go- kart tracks as well as skate and roller skating rinks may be reopened from May 4th for a maximum of 6 people.
• Water sports facilities are limited to two people
• Tennis courts are limited to four people.

Stricter hygiene measures apply (distance rules, covering the mouth and nose area when entering and leaving the facility, limiting the maximum number of people present, registering with the administration of the respective facility, closing all changing rooms and sanitary facilities with the exception of the toilets, disinfecting sports equipment every use, mandatory hand disinfection when entering and leaving the facility, use of personal training equipment or disinfection after each use). At the same time, the following steps were defined, the exact timing of which, however, remained open for the time being:

• First reopening of sports halls for groups of up to 6 people, group training for professional athletes, reopening of further sports facilities for professional athletes and Olympic athletes
• Gyms and dance clubs reopen at a later date; Facilities for table tennis, squash and badminton; Swimming pools and gyms, trampoline and skate parks, climbing walls, etc., as well as outdoor sports events for groups of up to 50 people, closed to the public

Stricter hygiene measures should also apply to these further steps (see above). The game operations in the football league Ekstraklasa are to be resumed between May 29 and 31, 2020; that of the Speedway Ekstraliga from June 12, 2020.

Accommodation companies, cultural institutions, kindergartens

On April 29, 2020, the government announced further easing measures:

• From May 4th, retail stores and shopping centers with more than 2000 m² of sales area may be reopened; however, there is a restriction to one person per 15 m² sales area. Hardware stores are allowed to reopen on weekends. Fitness studios and other recreational facilities (such as playgrounds) remain closed even if they are located within a shopping center. The same applies to on-site consumption in restaurants.
• At the same time, hotels and other accommodations may be reopened; The hotel's fitness centers, restaurants and swimming pools must remain closed, however. Hotel restaurants are allowed to prepare meals, provided that they are consumed by hotel guests in their rooms.
• The general ban on opening libraries, museums, archives and other cultural institutions is lifted. The heads of the respective facilities should decide on the specific reopening date in coordination with the local authorities.
• Rehabilitation facilities may be reopened (massage parlors remain closed)
• Kindergartens and crèches may be reopened from May 6, 2020.

Gastronomy, sports halls, educational and care facilities

On May 13, 2020, the government announced the following further easing, which will gradually apply from May 18, 2020:

• Reopening of hairdressing salons and beauty salons (by prior appointment - customers are not allowed to wait in the store; wearing face masks is required unless the nature of the treatment makes it impossible)
• On-site consumption in restaurants, cafés, bars and in the food courts of shopping centers (maximum one person per 4 m², mandatory disinfection of tables after each use, minimum distance of 2 m between tables, minimum distance of 1.5 m between separated seated guests, mandatory wearing of mouth and nose protection and disposable gloves for employees in the kitchen and service (guests are allowed to take off their masks as soon as they are at the table))
• Permission to stay in public without a supervisor for children under 13 years of age
• Increase the maximum number of passengers in public transport to up to 50% of the seats or 30% of the standing and seated seats
• Increase in the maximum number of participants in religious events to 1 person per 10 m²
• Increase in the maximum number of people in sports facilities in stadiums, football fields, skate parks, etc. (14 people + 2 trainers each), football fields (22 players + 4 trainers on a full field, or 16 players + 3 trainers per half field as long as the half fields are used separated from each other by an area at least 5 m wide)
• Reopening of sports halls (up to 300 m²: a maximum of 12 people + 1 trainer; up to 800 m²: a maximum of 16 people + 2 trainers; up to 1000 m²: a maximum of 24 people + 2 trainers; from 1000 m²: a maximum of 32 people + 3 trainers). Changing rooms and sanitary facilities with the exception of the toilets must remain closed.
• Resumption of the operation of open-air cinemas (including drive-in cinemas), on film sets, resumption of audio and video recordings in cultural institutions, individual tuition at art colleges, as well as practicing and rehearsing by musicians
• Resumption of courses and practical lessons in secondary schools and special schools and reopening of educational and care facilities, such as youth hostels as well as sports and community centers
• From May 25, 2020: Resumption of childcare and education offers for first to third grade students; Facilitating meetings of students in the Abitur classes and final classes of the eight-year elementary school with their teachers on site (individually or in small groups); Resumption of courses for students in their final year at universities and colleges (if these cannot be held, for example, as a tele-lecture)
• From June 1, 2020: Allow the remaining students to meet with their teachers

Quarantine after crossing the border

On May 16, the government decided to lift the mandatory quarantine for those who have entered the country via an EU internal border, as long as the entry is made for work or business. The same applies to travelers from Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Opening the borders

The Polish government announced on June 10th that the border with Germany will reopen on the night of June 12th to 13th.

Presidential election

A few days before the presidential election in Poland, which was scheduled for May 10, 2020, it was postponed indefinitely. It took place on June 28 and July 12, 2020 ; Incumbent Andrzej Duda just won it.

Reactions from business enterprises

The Polish pharmaceutical company Celon Pharma announced on March 17, 2020 that it had started a research program to find a drug against COVID-19.

The Polish company Scope Fluidics announced in March 2020 that it was working on an ultra-fast molecular test for SARS-CoV-2, which will be used in airports, train stations, etc. Ä. Places to apply.

On April 14, 2020, the first of two aid shipments from China landed in Poland with the world's largest cargo plane, the Antonow An-225 .

The Polish company Adamed started producing the drug Arechin around the clock in March 2020 . The use of such chloroquine preparations is controversial (see chloroquine # COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine # COVID-19 ).

See also

• List of epidemics and pandemics
• List of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic

Web links

Commons : COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Statistics on COVID-19 in Poland , in Poland analyzes , issue 256 from May 19, 2020 (HTML, accessed on May 20, 2020)
• The economic and social situation in Poland during the Corona crisis , in Poland analyzes , issue 254 from April 21, 2020 (PDF, accessed on May 20, 2020)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Pulmonologists on the Net: COVID-19: Causes . Online at www.lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
2. ↑ Tagesschau: “Deeply worried”. WHO speaks of corona pandemic . March 11, 2020. Online at www.tagesschau.de. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
3. ↑ sueddeutsche.de May 31, 2020: End of an upswing
4. ↑ Poland Reports First Coronavirus Case - Health Minister , March 4, 2020, usnews.com
5. ↑ Ministerstwo Zdrowia: W sumie liczba osób zakażonych koronawirusem: 58/1 (wszystkie pozytywne przypadki / w tym osoba zmarła). In: @MZ_GOV_PL. March 4, 2020, accessed March 14, 2020 (Polish). 
6. ↑ Coronavirus: Interactive map shows the current number of corona infections in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Retrieved August 28, 2020 . 
7. ↑ FAZ.net June 8, 2020 12:06
8. ↑ ^{a b c d} Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation reports; Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. WHO, accessed on July 21, 2020 . 
9. ↑ Premier: Wdrożymy kontrole sanitarne m.in. na granicy z Niemcami i Czechami. March 9, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
10. ↑ Premier: Podjęliśmy decyzję o zamknięciu wszystkich placówek oświatowych i Szkół wyższych. March 11, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
11. ↑ Zamykamy granice przed koronawirusem. March 13, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
12. ↑ ograniczenia działalności gastronomicznej, rozrywkowej oraz funkcjonowania galerii handlowych. March 13, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
13. ↑ Stan zagrożenia epidemicznego. March 14, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
14. ↑ Stan epidemii w Polsce. Premier poinformował o zaostrzeniu rygoru. March 20, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
15. ↑ USTAWA z dnia 5 grudnia 2008 ro zapobieganiu oraz zwalczaniu zakażeń i chorób zakaźnych u ludzi. (PDF) December 5, 2008, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
16. ↑ Wprowadzamy stan epidemii w Polsce. March 23, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
17. ↑ Wprowadzamy nowe zasady bezpieczeństwa w związku z koronawirusem. March 24, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
18. ↑ Kolejne kroki w walce z koronawirusem - w sklepie mniej osób, ograniczenia w poruszaniu nieletnich, a parki, plaże i bulwary zamknięte. March 31, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
19. ↑ Obowiązek zasłaniania ust i nosa już wkrótce, a zasady bezpieczeństwa na dłużej. April 9, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
20. ↑ Obowiązek zasłaniania ust i nosa w Polsce. Przepisy zostaną doprecyzowane. April 12, 2020, accessed April 14, 2020 (Polish).  
21. ↑ ^{a b} Znosimy kolejne ograniczenia - 18 maja pójdziesz do fryzjera, kosmetyczki i restauracji. May 13, 2020, accessed May 27, 2020 (Polish).  
22. ↑ ^{a b} Nowa normalność: etapy znoszenia ograniczeń związanych z COVID-19. April 16, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
23. ↑ Nowe terminy egzaminów maturalnego i ósmoklasisty. Przedłużamy zamknięcie przedszkoli i żłobków oraz szkół i uczelni. April 24, 2020, accessed May 27, 2020 (Polish).  
24. ↑ Premier: Znosimy kolejne ograniczenia. Otwieramy boiska, wraca ekstraklasa. April 25, 2020, accessed May 27, 2020 (Polish).  
25. ↑ 4 maja ruszą hotele, centra handlowe i rehabilitacja lecznicza. April 29, 2020, accessed May 27, 2020 (Polish).  
26. ↑ Nowe zasady zwolnień z kwarantanny przy przekroczeniu granicy RP. May 22, 2020, accessed May 27, 2020 (Polish).  
27. ↑ https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Polen-oeffnet-am-13-Juni-Grenze-zu-Deutschland,coronavirus2432.html
28. ↑ DER SPIEGEL: Coronavirus: Presidential election in Poland canceled - DER SPIEGEL - politics. Retrieved May 7, 2020 . 
29. ↑ Celon Pharma inicjuje strategiczny program terapeutyczny na COVID19. March 18, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
30. ↑ Celon Pharma zamierza znaleźć lek na koronawirusa Covid-19 i rozpoczyna nowy program badań. March 17, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 (Polish).  
31. ↑ Scope Fluidics is developing an Ultra-Fast COVID-19 Panel for its PCR. March 18, 2020, accessed on August 9, 2020 .  
32. ↑ An-225 Mriya aircraft transported a record load of medical cargo, joining the fight against COVID-19. In: American Journal of Transportation. April 14, 2020, accessed on April 21, 2020 .  
33. ↑ jest polski lek wspomagający leczenie koronawirusa. Produkuje go pod Łodzią Adamed. March 14, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020 (Polish).  
34. ↑ Polska company produkuje lek wspomagający leczenie koronawirusa. I będzie go dowozić do szpitali. March 18, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020 (Polish).