Poland is cooperating with the European Union and France concerning the transportation of Poles from China amidst the coronavirus outbreak, said Minister of Health Łukasz Szumowski, who added that he believes the transport will be prepared in the upcoming days
Szumowski stressed that people will return to the country regardless of whether they are healthy or ill, but medical check-ups will be conducted to ensure the evacuees are not infected upon arrival in Poland.
He emphasized that so far there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Poland.
“In time the virus will appear. However, it will not be a surprise to us, and it will not be an extraordinary issue. We are prepared and all quarantine wards have been given instructions and procedures for accepting infected patients,” Szumowski said, adding that each traveler who had contact with China is being monitored.
The Ministry of Health posted a declaration concerning the preparation for transporting Poles back home.
“We are taking over coordination of evacuation of Poles from Wuhan. In a few days a plane meant to transport Poles back home will depart.”
Minister @SzumowskiLukasz w #MZ: Przejmujemy koordynację akcji ewakuacyjnej Polaków z Wuhan. W najbliższych dniach wyleci samolot, który przetransportuje Polaków do kraju. pic.twitter.com/JhYVTpPIXe
— Ministerstwo Zdrowia (@MZ_GOV_PL) January 30, 2020
Szumowski also explained that Poland has received diagnostic tests for the new coronavirus.
He assured that by next week, the ministry will have its tools calibrated to have the same diagnostics standards as in Germany.
The pneumonia epidemic caused by a new kind of coronavirus started in December 2019 in Wuhan in Central China.
According to official data on Thursday, there are 7,711 confirmed infection cases in mainland China and 170 casualties.
