Health Minister on a catastrophic scenario

Over 3,000 deaths a week, 86 per million inhabitants - the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland is primarily a "great extinction". Despite this context, great New Year's Eve events, including the "New Year's Eve" in Zakopane organized by TVP, were held on Friday without any problems, and epidemiologists are wondering how much they will affect the increase in the number of infections. And will this influence be captured quickly.

During the event in Zakopane, the leaders from the stage more than once or twice - most often in vain - appealed to the audience to cover their nose and mouth. There was no reaction, except for the whistles. Also the PiS MP Joanna Lichocka, who had a great time without a mask, did not react - as was captured by the cameras. As she later explained in social media, she is vaccinated and presented a covid certificate, and in open spaces there is no obligation to cover her nose and mouth. About ignoring appeals - not a word. And about the fact that common sense (inability to keep a distance) suggests that in such places a mask should be put on (by the way, France is introducing the obligation to cover the nose and mouth in open spaces, such an obligation is already in, among others, in Italy, and especially in big cities it is strictly adhered to), also.

Meanwhile, the data published by the Ministry of Health show that the downward trend in the number of infections not only slowed down and stopped, but even reversed. On Monday morning, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski informed about over 6.4 thousand infections. - It is over 25 percent. more than a week ago. This is the third day in a row when we have recorded increases. This is very worrying, added the minister.

In his opinion, the data do not yet reflect the effect of holidays and the pre-holiday period, especially New Year's Eve. - I am looking at when Omikron will appear as a dominant mutation - said Adam Niedzielski. "I hope these three days are not the start of the Omikron as we have a high infection rate," he said, judging the number of beds occupied as "intriguing." - That's about 20,000. If we start another wave in these conditions, it is a catastrophic scenario - assessed the minister.

It is worth recalling, however, that just before such a black scenario of the beginning of the Friday wave driven by the extremely infectious Omikron - epidemiologists put it almost on a par with the measles virus - at a high level of infections and, above all, hospitalization, experts have warned for many weeks, appealing to the government from on the one hand, to strengthen the restrictions, on the other - to introduce solutions that would realistically result in an increase in the percentage of vaccinated persons. Meanwhile, the basic vaccination schedule (the first two doses) has practically stopped in Poland.