Following a recent surge in coronavirus infections and a toughening of restrictions, police officers in Poland have intensified inspections to ensure that businesses and individuals are complying with the rules. The army has also been enlisted to join patrols.
Last Sunday alone, police issued almost 5,000 fines to people violating the requirement to cover their nose and mouth in public spaces.
On Saturday, they inspected more than 8,300 venues around Poland – such as shops, hotels, restaurants, gyms and nightclubs – as well as over 2,700 means of public transportation. In Warsaw, police found a restaurant in the Old Town serving meals and alcohol inside, despite only takeaways currently being allowed.
During inspections in Małopolska Province, 11 gyms were found to be operating illegally, while two were also found in the city of Wrocław. According to current coronavirus restrictions, gyms may only allow professional athletes to use their facilities.
Businesses violating Covid rules can face fines of up to 30,000 zloty (€6,600). However, in Wrocław, police deemed that those managing the venues were “causing danger to life or health”, which is a criminal offence that can result in a prison sentence of up to eight years.
“We don’t want to have to punish people,” said police spokesman Mariusz Ciarka. “We are not fighting with people, but with the pandemic.”
He appealed for the public to show self-discipline as well as solidarity with those at risk from infection. Poland today recorded its largest ever daily total of Covid-related deaths and the number of patients hospitalised with COVID-19, as well as those requiring ventilators, is at its highest level during the pandemic.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, police officers have issued 391,000 fines [for violating restrictions], and in 57,000 cases people were filed to court,” where they can be given higher fines, said Ciarka.
However, some individuals and businesses have challenged their punishments, and a series of court rulings in their favour have challenged the legality of restrictions introduced by the government. That has in turn encouraged some businesses to reopen in defiance of the rules
Meanwhile, although 20,000 police are involved in activities related to curbing the spread of coronavirus every day, there are concerns that greater numbers are needed. As such, police are ever more often accompanied by soldiers during inspections, reports RMF24.
Around 8,000 soldiers have so far stepped in to support staff in hospitals and at sanitary inspectorates. Now, using military vehicles, they will also help to transport oxygen tanks to hospitals, the defence minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, has announced.
Main image credit: Combat Camera Poland/Flickr (under CC BY-NC 2.0)
Agnieszka Wądołowska is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza, Wysokie Obcasy, Duży Format, Midrasz and Kultura Liberalna
