Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announced that the peak of the fifth coronavirus wave was behind Poland as a decrease in number of Covid-19 infections was recorded for the second week in a row
“I hope that in March we will be able to make bold decisions on lifting restrictions. We are dealing with the beginning of the end of the pandemic,” Niedzielski announced.
He explained that the fifth wave of the pandemic and the number of infections does not result in dynamic increases in hospitalizations. He added that he was aware that a large number of Poles were dealing with the virus outside of the system and testing independently.
Niedzielski stated that 5,000 hospital beds will be reinstated into the system for other diseases than Covid-19, according to a report from Poland’s version of Business Insider. Also, starting Feb. 15., the isolation period for infected people will be shortened from 10 to seven days, and quarantine for other people living in the same house will be required only during the period where the infected person is under isolation.
The Polish Ministry of Health also decided to abolish contact-based quarantine and starting Feb. 11, quarantine for arrivals from outside the Schengen zone will be lifted.
Additionally, Minister of Education Przemysław Czarnek indicated that the ministry will speed up a return to on-site education and have students back in schools on Feb. 21.
Minister Czarnek added that the lifting of quarantine would greatly facilitate the functioning of schools.
Both ministers emphasized that on-site education was a priority for the government, and they did not foresee a return to education from home. Nevertheless, the decision could be changed due to the pandemic situation in the country.
The Ministry of Health also announced that on Feb. 9 there were 46,872 confirmed infections in Poland; 5177 were repeat infections. 310 people died due to the virus, and 557,319 are currently under quarantine.
