Poland considers new restrictions after record rise in COVID-19 cases

The Polish government will on Friday consider taking new steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 after the number of new cases rose by a record amount for the second successive day.

The Health Ministry reported 657 new cases and seven deaths, taking the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 45,688 and the death toll to 1,716. Of the new cases, 227 were in the Silesia region, where there has been an outbreak among coal miners.

Poland has reported fewer cases of COVID-19 than some other European countries, but the number of new infections is climbing. High numbers of new cases are expected over the coming days, a spokesman for the Health Ministry told state news agency PAP, drawing attention to the situation in Silesia.

Government spokesman Piotr Muller said in a tweet the government would discuss the situation and what action to take at a meeting on Friday at 1100 GMT, with the number of coronavirus cases also rising in other countries. "We will discuss current restrictions and their execution...and there will also be a discussion about introducing quarantine rules from certain countries," Muller told a Polish Catholic radio station.

He gave no further details. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki signalled on Thursday that further restrictions could be reintroduced to curb the spread.

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