Poland reported a record daily rise in coronavirus infections for the third consecutive day on Friday, confirming 35,143 new cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country more than a year ago.

polskieradio.pl

The death toll increased by 443, according to public health authorities.

A total of 2,189,966 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Poland since the start of the pandemic, and 51,305 have died in connection with the COVID-19 respiratory disease so far, officials said on Friday.

Of the new cases confirmed on Friday, 5,264 were in the central region of Mazowieckie, which includes the national capital Warsaw.

Meanwhile, 5,095 new infections were reported in the southern coal mining region of Silesia.

The western province of Wielkopolskie, which is home to the major city of Poznań, had the third-highest number of new infections confirmed by officials on Friday, at 4,141.

The latest deaths in Poland’s coronavirus outbreak are 318 people with pre-existing medical conditions and 125 who died directly because of COVID-19, the Polish health ministry said.

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Also from Radio Poland, UPDATE: New swathe of restrictions in Poland amid COVID record

Poland on Thursday announced a swathe of new COVID restrictions as officials reported another record daily rise in infections and the health minister warned the country was “in a crisis situation.”

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, meanwhile, said Poland was experiencing its most difficult moment in the pandemic, with over 70 percent of hospital beds with ventilators occupied.

He added that Poland’s public health service was approaching the limits of its capacity to cope.

Under new rules that will kick in for two weeks from Saturday, large retail outlets and churches will be able to admit fewer people, hairdressers and beauty parlours will be shut, while kindergartens will be closed to children apart from those of medics, soldiers, police and firefighters.

Large furniture and building supply stores will be closed, while sports facilities will be open only to professional athletes.

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