Outlining the government’s efforts to fight the epidemic, Morawiecki added that 3,000 more ventilators would be provided for patients.
He said Poland was in the midst of a second wave of the virus, and could face a third wave.
Second wave
"We are dealing with a very dangerous phenomenon today - a second wave, and it must also be said here that we may be in danger of a third wave, because we are dependent on whether a drug or a vaccine for COVID-19 is invented," Morawiecki told MPs.
Poland on Wednesday reported a record daily rise in coronavirus infections, confirming 10,040 new cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.
The death toll increased by 130, according to public health authorities.
Morawiecki told MPs that his government’s strategy in fighting the epidemic was focused on three main goals: safeguarding the health of Polish citizens, supporting the economy and protecting older people.
He criticized both those who wanted an “immediate lockdown of the economy” and those who wanted the epidemic to be ignored so as not to harm the economy.
3,851 deaths
A total of 202,579 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Poland since the pandemic began, and 3,851 have died in connection with the COVID-19 respiratory disease so far, according to officials.
Tougher measures to battle COVID-19 were introduced in Poland in the middle of this month, with the number of “red” zones - those with the most severe restrictions - increased to cover almost half the country.
At the beginning of this week, secondary schools and universities in such areas, among them Warsaw, switched to distance learning.
Poland last week introduced special shopping hours for people aged over 60 between 10 a.m. and noon.
Amid a spike in coronavirus cases, strict new rules came into effect in the country earlier this month under which everyone is required to wear a face covering when going out in public.
With 96 COVID-19 deaths per million population, Poland remains far less affected by the coronavirus epidemic than many other countries in Europe, new statistics have shown.
(pk)
Source: PAP/Polish Radio