All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2 are when millions of Poles usually visit the graves of their loved ones, often travelling hundreds of kilometres to their home towns.
“We do not want to cause increased risk as a result of large groups of people gathering in cemeteries, on public transport,” Morawiecki told reporters on Friday.
He added: "We waited before making this decision, believing that the number of [coronavirus] cases may decline."
Poland reported a record rise in coronavirus infections for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, confirming 21,629 new cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.
Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said last week that All Saints’ Day was a celebration deeply rooted in Polish culture and that the government was not at the time planning to shut down cemeteries or restrict traffic in the run-up to the holiday by means of administrative decisions.
(pk/gs)
Source: PAP