On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health announced 35,960 new coronavirus infections, 3,974 people were re-infected and 286 people died. A week ago, the ministry informed about 39,114 new cases. 239 Covid deaths. There are still 19,014 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 1,171 patients on ventilators. Generally, 30,853 beds and 2,678 ventilators were prepared for COVID-19 patients.
The ministry informed that 550,851 people are in quarantine and 4,373,899 patients have recovered so far. A week ago, on February 1, there were 16,357 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 1,058 patients on ventilators.
Wojciech Andrusiewicz, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health, informed that the ministry is planning to shorten the isolation period to seven days. The decision in this matter will be announced on Wednesday, February 9, by Minister Adam Niedzielski.
Andrusiewicz explains that it is connected with a shorter symptomatic period and a shorter period when people actively infect and with the need to restore workers in various industries because this high infectivity of the virus excludes quickly people from the labour market, which impacts the economy of Poland.
In Andrusiewicz’s opinion, declines in the number of infections have become a certain trend.
The spokesman emphasizes that they are accompanied by two important statistical factors. First, it is a drop in test orders from Primary Healthcare. A week ago, there were over 45,000 daily, now they are fewer than 40 thousand. The second factor is the decrease in the general number of tests performed daily.
Andrusiewicz also talked about the possible return of students to in-person mode after the winter break. It is possible that there will be a nationwide hybrid mode, that in some provinces such a return will be possible, and in some provinces not yet.
The risk assessment criteria, in this case, include: outbreaks in schools, the number of test orders from primary health care centres, or occupied Covid beds.
Asked about whether in Poland the restrictions will be lifted, following the example of some European countries, Andrusiewicz replied that the ministry is analyzing the Czechs and Spaniards’ experience.
The spokesman also emphasized the obligation to vaccinate active-duty service members and teachers is unlikely to be made until March 1, but it can be introduced in future. Nowadays, there is too little time to prepare for it.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński