Poland’s prime minister allowed reopening of non-essential business like restaurants and hairdressers next Monday.
In Poland, the coronavirus-linked restrictions will be relaxed gradually, PM Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday. Earlier in May, the Cabinet allowed hotels, shopping centres and kindergartens to reopen. Next step for the largest economy of the European Union’s eastern members is reopening of hairdressing salons.
“At least to some extent we have contained the epidemic, therefore we can gradually unfreeze the economy,” Morawiecki told a news conference, a day after Poland saw its largest rise in coronavirus cases in a single day.
According to Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski, the COVID-19 reproduction rate had fallen below 1 in the country. In terms of statistics that means one infected person led to fewer than one new infections in other people.
Taking into account the improved epidemiological situation, Morawiecki also said that schools would partially reopen to provide daycare for children in the first three years of primary school.
The first minister also said that the further easing of restrictions came amid a dispute between the government and opposition over how and when to hold elections which were originally scheduled for May 10.
On May 12, Poland’s lower house of parliament voted in favour of legislation allowing for a mixture of postal voting and traditional voting at polling stations. PM Morawiecki said on Wednesday he hoped the election would be held in June.
