Queues of hundreds of people formed at Warsaw’s main airport yesterday after Poland introduced new Covid testing requirements for arrivals from outside the Schengen area. Many travellers had to wait several hours to be tested.
The airport has apologised for the situation, which has reportedly eased today. The government has also moved to adjust the requirements in order to avoid the kind of large, closely packed crowds seen yesterday.
Lotnisko Chopina dantejskie sceny ponad 1000 osób bez dystansu w jednej hali czeka na wykonanie testu! pic.twitter.com/rvgO7HoLzq
— Kot (@EloKocie) December 16, 2021
Since Wednesday, all arrivals (including fully vaccinated people) from outside the Schengen zone have been required to show a negative result from a Covid test taken no more than 24 hours before crossing the Polish border. If they do not, they are required to enter 14 days of quarantine.
While such tests can be taken before departure, it is also possible at most major Polish airports to take them after landing but before crossing the border.
On Thursday evening, after a number of flights landed, queues of hundreds of people began to form at the small number of testing points that were available. Images on social media showed travellers closely packed together while awaiting their turn.
Pasażerowie przylatujący spoza strefy Schengen jeśli nie zrobili testu na COVID19 przed wylotem stoją w długich kolejkach do testowania na lotnisku im. Chopina. Od dziś nowe przepisy @RadioZET_NEWS pic.twitter.com/lhJlJ2iIte
— Anna Józefowicz (@aniajozia) December 16, 2021
At 9 p.m. Chopin Airport stated that it was experiencing “temporary difficulties” but making “every effort to improve service as soon as possible”. It also reminded people who had tested before departure that they did not need to wait in line.
RMF24 reports that three more testing points have been opened to try to reduce the queues. The government has also moved today to amend the rules, including by permitting arrivals to get a test at the airport within three hours after crossing the border.
The government says this will help “ensure the smooth movement of passengers at airports” and “reduce the risk of creating clusters of people” by allowing tests to be taken either before departure, at the airport before border clearance, or shortly after crossing the border.
Children up to five years old as well as people working in international transport and travel will also be exempted from the testing requirements.
📢Przypominamy, że od 15 grudnia wszyscy, nawet zaszczepieni, przylatujący z 🇬🇧 do 🇵🇱 muszą pokazać negatywny wynik testu na koronawirusa. https://t.co/ygerjaCSOr
— Polish Embassy UK 🇵🇱 (@PolishEmbassyUK) December 14, 2021
Meanwhile, many arrivals at Kraków airport reported facing a different problem. They had expected to be able to obtain a test before passport control, but found that this is not possible at the airport – unlike those in Warsaw, Wrocław and Katowice – reports Gazeta Wyborcza.
As a result, some passengers have unexpectedly ended up having to enter 14 days of quarantine. On Wednesday, the airport had issued a statement advising travellers to take their test before flying.
Main image credit: elokocie/Twitter
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.
