Poland Imposes Virus Restrictions as Case Growth Sets Record

(Bloomberg) --

Poland will introduce new containment measures against Covid-19 in some of the most affected areas in the country of 38 million people after fresh infections set records in the past weeks.

The government will impose limits on restaurants, sporting events, public transport and weddings in 19 of its 380 counties as of Saturday, Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, we have to react and shake people out of their carelessness a bit if we don't want Poland to be one big affected area,” Szumowski told a news conference in Warsaw, adding he expects 500 to 700 new cases per day in the next period.

Later on Thursday, Poland reported 726 new cases, a single-day record, taking the total to 49,515. Deaths rose by 18, the same amount as on Wednesday, to 1,774.

The impact on the economy as a whole from the regional restrictions will probably be negligible as the affected counties account for around 5% of the total population and for 3.1% of Poland's gross domestic product, according to analysts at Bank Pekao SA.

“Individual and voluntary decisions regarding social distancing taken in other parts of the country will be more important,” they said on Twitter.

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