COVID-19 pandemic in Poland

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The COVID-19 pandemic in Poland was a part of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 strain of coronavirus. As of 21 August 2024^[update], Poland had 6,680,897 confirmed cases (173,553 per million), and 120,636 deaths due to COVID-19.^[6]

In February and March 2020, health authorities in Poland carried out laboratory testing of suspected cases of infection by SARS-CoV-2, as well as home quarantining and monitoring. On 4 March 2020, the first laboratory confirmed case in Poland was announced in a man hospitalised in Zielona Góra. On March 10, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the local transmission phase of SARS-CoV-2 in Poland. On March 12, 2020, the first death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Poland was that of a 57-year-old woman.

Polish authorities did not participate in the European Union tender procedure for purchasing COVID-19 pandemic related medical equipment, until 17 March 2020.

On 10–12 March 2020 lockdown-type control measures were implemented, closing schools and university classes, offices, and cancelling mass events, and were strengthened on 25 March, limiting non-family gatherings to two people and religious gatherings to six and forbidding non-essential travel. On 20 March 2020, the Ministry of Health officially declared an epidemic and on the same day tried to prevent medical personnel from commenting on the pandemic. The Polish Ombudsman Adam Bodnar defended medical personnel's right to speak publicly about the epidemic on constitutional grounds of freedom of speech and the right of the public to information. Doctors opposed the self-censorship orders.

Lockdown restrictions were tightened on 31 March 2020 by a government regulation, requiring individuals walking in streets to be separated by two metres, closing parks, boulevards, beaches, hairdressers and beauty salons, and forbidding unaccompanied minors from exiting their homes. Restrictions were relaxed starting 20 April, allowing religious gatherings and funerals to be held for up to a maximum of 50 people. Starting on 1 April 2020, fatalities which were clinically or epidemiologically diagnosed as COVID-19 (U07.2) were also considered as COVID-19 deaths by NIPH–NIH.