International travellers arriving in Poland are now no longer required to enter quarantine if they are vaccinated against COVID-19. Some other groups – including students and schoolchildren – are also exempted.
Since 28 December, anyone entering Poland from within the European Union on organised transport (such as aeroplanes, trains or buses), as well as all those arriving from outside the EU, has been required to enter 10 days of compulsory quarantine.
Under a regulation published by the Polish government last night, the following groups are exempted from that requirement:
- Those “who have been issued with a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine authorised in the EU”
- Children attending school or preschool in Poland or a neighbouring country and their guardians who cross the border for the purpose of their education
- University students (including doctoral students) or those participating in other forms of education in Poland or a neighbouring country
- People conducting academic activity
The regulation also loosens restrictions on visiting rehabilitation centres. It is now possible to stay at one after presenting a negative coronavirus test taken within the last six days, reports RMF FM.
The new quarantine rules come as Poland’s own vaccination programme continues to be rolled out, though with its pace restrained by EU-wide delays in delivery. As of the end of last week, Poland had the third highest vaccination rate among all member states.
Poland currently has the EU's third highest coronavirus vaccination rate, having administrated over 7 doses per 100 people.
Via: @OurWorldInData: https://t.co/eUtCQoFW96 pic.twitter.com/o6nCtU2MzG
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 22, 2021
The government has been gradually loosening lockdown restrictions since last month, first with the return of the youngest children to school, then the reopening of shopping centres, museums and galleries, and most recently hotels, cinemas, theatres, casinos and some sports facilities.
Daily infections numbers, which had been falling since November, have, however, recently begun to rise, leading the health ministry to warn last week that a third wave of the virus may be beginning in Poland.
The current restriction regime remains valid until this Friday, with no announcement yet made on whether it will be maintained, loosened or toughened up from that date.
Main image credit: Ben Queenborough/PinPep (under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
