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Reuters
Reuters
Health

Early closing for some Polish bars as COVID infections rise

FILE PHOTO: The "Blue Poodle" pub is seen closed in Sopot, during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Poland, March 22, 2020. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti

Restaurants and bars will have to close at 10 p.m. at the latest in areas of Poland worst affected by the coronavirus, the health minister said, adding that there would be no nationwide lockdown.

Poland reported 1,326 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, after a record 1,587 new cases on Friday.

"Depending on the place and scale of new infections we will be implementing new measures," Adam Niedzielski told a news conference on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the new measures would take effect.

FILE PHOTO: A health worker wearing protective gear takes a swab sample from a driver at a mobile testing station for miners of the Bielszowice coal mine, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Ruda Slaska, Poland July 27, 2020. Grzegorz Celejewski/Agencja Gazeta/via REUTERS

There would also be further limits on the number of people who can attend weddings and the wearing of face masks will be obligatory outside home in badly hit places, he added.

Niedzielski said that he saw no threat of a shortage of hospitals beds, reacting to complaints from some doctors that they are struggling to deal with high numbers of coronavirus patients.

"Expecting that the trend of new infections above 1,000-1,500 a day will be continued ... we have increased the base of beds available," he added.

(Reporting by Marcin Goclowski, Anna Koper and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Alan Charlish and Nick Macfie)

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