Poland reports record coronavirus cases for third day

FILE PHOTO: A health worker wearing protective gear takes a swab sample from a driver at a mobile testing station for miners of the Bielszowice coal mine, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Ruda Slaska, Poland July 27, 2020. Grzegorz Celejewski/Agencja Gazeta/via REUTERS

WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases for a third day in a row on Saturday with 658, the Health Ministry said.

More than 200 cases were reported in the Silesia mining region in southern Poland, which has been grappling with an outbreak among miners.

The ministry also reported five new deaths.

Poland has reported a total of 46,346 coronavirus cases and 1,721 deaths.

The prime minister this week did not rule out tightening some restrictions if the situation worsens.

Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said on Saturday that curbs may be imposed on weddings, which have become a source of many infections in recent weeks.

“We are thinking whether to launch, in the regions with the highest number of infections, restrictions saying that fewer people could attend weddings or whether to register weddings, so that they could be better controlled,” Szumowski told private radio RMF24.

Currently Poland allows 150 guests at a wedding.

Sanitary services said that the resurgence of COVID-19 among coal miners is a result of loosening restrictions and the working conditions in coal mines, in which it is difficult to enforce social distancing.

Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; editing by Jason Neely

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source: reuters.com