300polityka

11:17

Dworczyk:

Nearly 12,000 Signed Up via LOT Website to Return Home. First Flights Overseas Depart Today, Primarily to the USA, but Not Exclusively

- Tonight, Poland's borders were temporarily closed to foreigners. Border control has been temporarily reinstated. All these actions proceeded without major issues. Border traffic has decreased. Currently, only Polish citizens are entering. Everyone entering is subjected to a 14-day quarantine. Queues formed at several crossings on the border with Germany. We are convinced that these will gradually be resolved and diminish. We also encourage you to check the Border Guard website for information, which provides and will continue to provide details on which crossings have less traffic and which have more. Within the night, since this option became available, nearly 12,000 people have registered their desire to return to the country via the LOT website. The first planes to go overseas are departing today. This is mainly the USA, but not exclusively. Today, two additional charters will also be carried out from London. Please follow the LOT website for ongoing information – stated Michał Dworczyk at a briefing before the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM).

- The Government Crisis Management Team meeting will commence shortly. We will provide further information to you later today – continued the head of the KPRM.

11:17

Dworczyk:

We Will See a Significant Increase in Quarantined Individuals, Reaching Tens, Possibly Even Hundreds of Thousands. Police Patrols to Be Reinforced by the Military.

- We will see a very significant increase in the number of people subjected to quarantine. Yesterday, it was just over two thousand; currently, we estimate this number will reach tens, perhaps even hundreds of thousands. Consequently, police patrols will also be reinforced by the military. I am referring to both the Territorial Defence Force (WOT) and operational troops. Recently adopted regulations allow for the deployment of the military for this purpose. The military will also be available to local governments that require assistance in caring for individuals under quarantine, because controlling these individuals is one aspect, but another is providing help to these people - stated Michał Dworczyk at a briefing before the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM).

13:49

Grzegrzółka:

Sejm Chancellery Leadership and the Marshal of the Sejm are Continuously Analyzing the Coronavirus Threat. Further Preventive and Protective Measures Introduced.

- The leadership of the Chancellery of the Sejm and the Marshal of the Sejm are continuously analyzing the situation related to the coronavirus threat. The Chamber's authorities' actions are aimed at ensuring the safety of all persons present on the Parliament's premises, as well as the stability of the functioning of one of the most important state offices. Further preventive and protective measures have been introduced. All employees, before entering, will be required to fill out declarations concerning contact with persons suspected of being infected with the virus and having stayed in countries to which travel is not recommended by the Chief Sanitary Inspector. Additionally, everyone entering the Parliament's premises will have their temperature measured, including members of parliament (posłowie) and senators. The Sejm's restaurants have been closed. All the measures mentioned are directly related to the recommendations of the WHO and GIS (Chief Sanitary Inspectorate). They are also a consequence of the introduced state of epidemic threat – informed Andrzej Grzegrzółka, Director of CIS, to 300POLITYKA.

13:58

Przydacz:

Every Hour, Information Arrives About Thousands More Poles Ready and Willing to Return Home. 18,000 Await Return to Poland

This is, of course, not the final number [12,000 Poles wanting to return to the country]. Every hour, information reaches us about thousands more Poles who are ready and would like to return to the country. As the Prime Minister said yesterday, over 1.5 million Poles are currently temporarily outside the country's borders. We estimate that several hundred thousand, even from this number, are Polish tourists staying in various locations. Together with LOT, we have launched a special tab that will accurately indicate where Poles are located. In the morning, the number 12,000 was announced. I can say today that it is 18,000 who are waiting to return to Poland. The scale is truly gigantic. This is probably the largest undertaking of its kind in the history of the Third Polish Republic – stated Marcin Przydacz in a conversation with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

14:03

Przydacz:

Flights Ramping Up Faster Than Planned to Aid Poles Abroad

- A plane is returning from London right now. Shortly, planes will depart for North America – Chicago, New York, Toronto. We hope a plane will also fly to Sri Lanka today. There are Polish tourists there. Yesterday, it was announced that we would try to launch these flights from Monday. Today, we can already see that this process has accelerated. We want to help Poles as quickly as possible – stated Marcin Przydacz in a conversation with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24’s "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

14:23

Duda Discusses Coronavirus Pandemic Situation and Countermeasures with Lithuanian President

President Andrzej Duda held a phone conversation with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. The discussion concerned the situation related to the coronavirus epidemic and the actions of both countries to contain it and combat its effects – Krzysztof Szczerski informed 300POLITYKĘ.

The presidents acknowledged that the situation is serious for both countries and requires great responsibility and discipline in action. The presidents appealed for the solidarity of European nations in this situation and for greater activity from European Union institutions. The presidents also discussed the situation at the Polish-Lithuanian border crossings related to the introduced restrictions on the movement of people – added the head of the President's Chancellery.

In the coming days, President Duda plans to hold similar conversations with other leaders of regional countries.

15:11

Ministry of Health: 8 New Coronavirus Infections. A Total of 119 Infected People

https://twitter.com/MZ_GOV_PL/status/1239189940094808065

16:56

Kidawa-Błońska:

We Must Support Entrepreneurs So That No One Is Left Alone, So That Everyone Knows the State Remembers Them. We Are a Solidarity-Based and Responsible Society. Together, We Will Responsibly Defeat This Virus

This is a very difficult time for Poland, for Poles, for each of us. The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives overnight. I share the pain of the victims' families. I stand in solidarity with the sick and their loved ones. As Poles, we must show that in these difficult moments, we can behave reasonably and responsibly. Quarantine and isolation are essential. Let's listen to doctors because they know best what we need. And they say we need tests for people in high-risk groups, we need medical equipment, protective equipment. Ensuring better functioning of hospitals. Let's listen to them and take care of them, because our safety depends on them. As Poles, we have been very afraid lately not only for our health but also for our economic security. People are afraid they will lose their jobs, that they will not be paid their wages. We must support entrepreneurs so that no one is left alone, so that everyone knows the state remembers them. And we are a solidarity-based and responsible society. Together, we will responsibly defeat this virus - stated Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska in a clip published on social media. https://twitter.com/kidawa2020/status/1239213327118741504

19:06

Ministry of Health: 4 New Coronavirus Infections. Total of 123 Infected in Poland

https://twitter.com/MZ_GOV_PL/status/1239250914524921857

19:32

PM Morawiecki on YouTuber Blowek's Channel (4.5 Million Subscribers): 'Cities Won't Be Locked Down.' PM on Elections: 'We Assume Elections Will Take Place, and I'd Like to Believe the Situation in April Will Be Better, and Then We Will Make Decisions.'

- The army will not march into the streets, there are no such plans, Warsaw will not be locked down, but indeed the primary weapon against the virus is to stay put, to not move between different places. Stay home as much as possible - says Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in an interview with one of the most popular Polish YouTubers. - In the event of the introduction of any state of emergency, according to the provisions of the Constitution, elections do not take place and are postponed by at least 90 days [after its cessation - editor's note]. Until then, elected bodies continue to function, but this is a purely theoretical state. At the moment, there is no such necessity. We assume that the elections will take place, and I would like to believe that the situation in April will be better, and then we will make decisions - says the Prime Minister in response to Blowek's question. The Chancellery of the Prime Minister's Office decided to disseminate basic information, correcting the flood of fake news through a conversation between the Prime Minister and one of the most popular YouTubers. Blowek is considered one of the most popular in Poland. On his main channel, Blowek has 4.34 million subscribers and 815 million views, and on his second channel, minecraftblowek, he has 198,000 subscribers and 4.3 million views. Additionally, he has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram. PMM on conversation with von der Leyen: 'We want entrepreneurs' losses to be at least partially compensated, so that our economy lands on its feet, because people are the most important' - A few hours ago, I talked about money from the Cohesion Fund, and we want these funds to be redirected to fight the coronavirus. For example, people in some places cannot work; after all, we have closed restaurants and bars, and we want their financial losses to be at least partially compensated - says the Prime Minister. - We want to cushion the blow as much as possible, so that our economy lands on its feet, because people are the most important - adds Morawiecki. PMM on limiting mobility and further steps - Will further actions be taken? Probably yes. We see that the countries that have limited movement to the bare minimum, meaning only going to work where necessary, going to the store, also where necessary, are achieving the greatest successes - adds the Prime Minister. - In Italy, internal movement is severely restricted. We decided that due to low demand, it's not worth having domestic flights. Besides, an airplane, I don't know if you know, is like a ventilation can that causes the virus to spread very easily to all passengers if one person is infected with coronavirus, so we want to shut down this internal traffic. Besides, there aren't many takers anyway - says the Prime Minister. - I encourage you to limit travel to a minimum - says Morawiecki. PMM on grocery stores always remaining open - Grocery stores are essential for daily life - says the Prime Minister: - It is very important that stores remain open. Within the first hour of the video's publication with the Prime Minister, nearly 100,000 people watched it on YouTube alone.

21:30

Ministry of Health: 2 new coronavirus infections. A total of 125 infected in Poland