Polish cities offer support to businesses and seniors amid tightened restrictions

A number of Polish local authorities have been supporting hospitality businesses and senior citizens to cope with increasingly stringent restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.

As levels of new infections and deaths in Poland continue to soar, some authorities have responded by announcing plans to exempt hospitality businesses from payment of rent while they are closed. Practical support is also being offered elderly people, after the government encouraged those aged 70+ to stay at home. 

Poland today again recorded its highest ever daily figures for both new coronavirus cases (18,820) and deaths (236). The number of deaths was 32% higher than the previous record of 179, set on Saturday.

Help for the hospitality industry

Also on Saturday, new restrictions came into force, with the whole of Poland classified as a “red zone”. Among the measures was a ban on restaurants and bars opening except for takeaway and delivery.

To alleviate the pressure on restaurateurs a number of local authorities decided to step in. One of them is the mayor of Opole, Arkadiusz Wiśniewski, who announced that the city will support its struggling business.

“In order to relieve businesses, at least in part, I made a decision to exempt tenants in the catering industry using municipal real estate and municipal units from payment of rent,” he said, quoted by Wirtualna Polska.

Wiśniewski also called on other landlords to do the same, saying it would “help our entrepreneurs in a difficult situation that is not their fault.”

A similar initiative has been launched in Warsaw, reports TVP. The owners of local businesses can apply for a temporary rent reduction of up to 90% for municipal premises if the business has been fully closed, relief in the repayment of arrears, as well as help with running catering services. 

Warsaw is also extending its free online accounting, business and legal advice that was made accessible for businesses online as part of the #Academy_Smolna initiative, which began in March, and runs until December. 

This follows previous initiatives launched in spring and summer to support the sector. In some cities, including Gdynia and Sopot, restaurants were able to apply to expand their outdoor space to accommodate more customers, whilst local authorities in Bydgoszcz promoted restaurants selling takeaways on their official city website, reports Onet.

However, some in the hospitality sector have requested further support as the second wave of the virus decimates business. Over the weekend, restaurant owners in Wrocław and Kraków held so-called “dead chair” protests, demanding immediate support in covering costs and complaining that government aid packages have not gone far enough.

To help the struggling sector, the Polish government has proposed a new “gastronomy shield” which could come into effect from November, reports Radio Zet. Although plans are still unconfirmed, this may include exemptions from social insurance contributions and micro-subsidies.

Support for the elderly

The new coronavirus restrictions also include limitations on daily life for the elderly. The government has asked those aged over 70 to avoid going out unless necessary, for example for work, shopping, or to church.

On Friday, the prime minister announced that a “Solidarity Corps” to support seniors in isolation was being established, which will involve volunteers, scouts, territorial forces and other organisations.

The minister for family and social policy, Marlena Maląg, said that a special helpline for seniors was being set up to provide information, advice and, when needed, a volunteer to visit their home to deliver any “necessary products”.

“You will not be left alone, we want you to survive this difficult time in health and with a sense of security,” said Maląg, quoted by TVN. 

Speaking to Polsat on Saturday, 82-year-old Wirginia Szmyt, better known as “the world’s oldest DJ”, said “loneliness is the worst” for the elderly under coronavirus restrictions. However, she also said that government support had been useful.

Other local authorities are also helping their residents. The town of Tarnobrzeg in south-eastern Poland has offered its own telephone line for seniors since spring, and has resumed its “At high noon” campaign to address more practical needs, reports NadWisla.pl, a local news website.

Residents who need help – not only senior citizens – can put a piece of white cloth outside their houses to request a visit from local volunteer firefighters.

Meanwhile, local authorities in Kalisz have launched a free “handyman” service to support any residents over 60, providing help with minor repairs. Deputy mayor Mateusz Podsadny told Radio Eska that over a dozen repairs were made in the first week.

“The handyman has to deal with a leaky tap, a broken lock on a door, a handle, fixing a mirror, a painting or a curtain rod. These are basic tasks that an elderly person may have a problem with, and a specialist will do it in a few minutes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Poznań is offering seasonal support ahead of All Saints’ Day, when Poles traditionally visit their family graves. Any residents aged over 80 who live alone, or with a  disabled, sick or dependent person, can ask for their relatives’ gravestones to be cleaned and tidied, reports Onet.

Speaking last week, the health minister, Adam Niedzielski, encouraged Poles to plan their visits to graveyards responsibly and over a longer period of time. However, he also said that imposing limits on visitor numbers at cemeteries, or even closing them, was unlikely. Deputy prime minister Jarosław Gowin had previously said that closing graveyards and preventing “this great Polish tradition” was “out of the question”.

The increased restrictions are also causing difficulties to the thousands of cross-border workers who have jobs outside Poland.

Authorities in the German state of Mecklenburg Vorpommern have resumed a financial support programme for medical institutions which was initially launched in spring, reports Interia. This provides a subsidy of €65 a day for Poles who can temporarily stay in the state. Czechia, meanwhile, has announced there will be exemptions for cross-border workers after reclosing its borders.

Main image credit: Cezary Aszkielowicz / Agencja Gazeta

Juliette Bretan

Juliette Bretan is a freelance journalist covering Polish and Eastern European current affairs and culture. Her work has featured on the BBC World Service, and in CityMetric, The Independent, Ozy, New Eastern Europe and Culture.pl.