Poland today recorded another significant increase in coronavirus infections, with the government saying that the “fourth wave is accelerating” and “warning lights are flashing” for the almost 50% of Poles who are not yet vaccinated.
Today’s health ministry data show exactly 3,000 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, 60% more than a week ago and the highest since mid-May. There were 60 Covid-related deaths, more than double the figure a week earlier and the highest since early June.
Poland’s infection rate still remains significantly lower than the European Union average, and even further below those in the United States and United Kingdom. However, the country also carries out much fewer tests than those places. Poland’s proportion of positive test results in the last week is similar to the UK’s.
“Recent days show that this fourth wave is definitely accelerating in Poland,” deputy health minister Waldemar Kraska told RMF FM. “[Thursday’s] results should not only turn on a red light for us, but I think two red flashing warning lights for all those who are not vaccinated yet.”
Only around 52% of Poland’s population are fully vaccinated, compared to the EU average of 64%. Only six member states – Slovenia (51%), Latvia (49%), Croatia (43%), Slovakia (42%), Romania (29%) and Bulgaria (20%) – have lower rates than Poland.
While Poland’s vaccine rollout initially proceeded at roughly the same rate as the EU average, since June it has fallen significantly behind, amid a decline in registrations. Government efforts to encourage sign-ups – including a lottery for fully vaccinated people – have had little impact.
A severe second wave of the virus last autumn led Poland to have the EU’s highest excess death rate in 2020. Kraska told RMF yesterday that, if Poles want to avoid having to “attend the funerals of loved ones”, they should get vaccinated.
The number of patients currently hospitalised with COVID-19 in Poland reached 2,796 today, the highest since early June. Last week, the health minister, Adam Niedzielski, assured that hospitals retain more than enough capacity, and that there is currently no need to introduce any new restrictions.
Niedzielski did, however, warn Poles that they must comply with current requirements to mask indoors. He also last week sent a letter to the head of Poland’s Catholic episcopate, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, appealing to him to remind local parishes of the need to cover noses and mouths in closed spaces.
Main image credit: Krystian Maj/KPRM (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.
