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Poles snapping up masks amid coronavirus fears: report

03.03.2020 13:10
Poles are rushing to buy protective masks and antibacterial agents while manufacturers are raising prices as the coronavirus claims more lives around the world, state news agency PAP reported on Tuesday.
Tourists wear medical face masks while visiting Rome on Monday
Tourists wear medical face masks while visiting Rome on Monday Photo: EPA/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI

No coronavirus case has been confirmed in Poland so far, but senior officials have warned that it is a matter of time before it appears.

Poland’s Development Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz said that it was difficult to predict the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy.

“The mildest [scenario] points to the impact of the coronavirus on the economy being limited to the first quarter of this year. The more difficult one points to more serious economic consequences throughout the year and with consequences next year," she added.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during a special session of the Polish parliament on Monday that the country was prepared for a coronavirus outbreak and urged Poles not to panic.

The virus has killed more than 3,100 people around the world and infected over 90,000. In Italy, the worst hit country in Europe, officials said on Monday that the death toll from the virus had risen to 52.

(pk/gs)

Source: PAP