Poland faces a real threat of a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said on Monday, adding he would recommend that current restrictions continue until at least Jan. 17.
As of Monday, Poland, a country of around 38 million people, had reported a total of 1,140,572 coronavirus cases and 22,960 deaths.
Authorities shut schools, restaurants and sports centres after Poland saw record high numbers of new infections in early November.
"In order to avoid a third wave I will recommend that the restrictions remain at the current level... I will recommend that they are extended until at least Jan 17," Niedzielski told a news conference following a meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Andrzej Duda.
The government is expected to adopt a national coronavirus vaccine plan on Tuesday. Morawiecki said earlier this month his government had bought more than 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from six producers.
(Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Gareth Jones)
