COVID-19 cases in Poland tops 3,000 after new one-day record

The Polish Ministry of Health has reported a one-day record number of 320 new cases on Friday, bringing the official total in the country to 3,266.

The Death toll directly attributed to the coronavirus has reached 65, according to the ministry.

The numbers in Poland keep rising exponentially even after the government placed additional restrictions on the country's residents earlier this week.

These include special hours when only seniors are allowed in shops, limits on the number of clients in retail establishments, and a mandatory 2-meter distance between people, as well as a ban on meetings of more than two non-family members.

Police have reportedly started to fine people ignoring the new rules in what the authorities say is a zero-tolerance policy.

To further discourage people to leave their homes over the weekends, Poland's General Directorate of the State Forests has closed all forests and national parks to the public on Friday. A spokesperson told public television service TVP that large numbers of people chose to spend time outdoors in spite of the epidemic. "The weather forecasts suggest that more would be tempted to go outdoors, so for the sake of public health all forests and national parks will be closed," she said.

The coronavirus has also hit various healthcare facilities across the country.

Internet service WP reported that 23 patients in a caring home 85 kilometers south of Warsaw have been infected with the coronavirus.

On Thursday, the National Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, where cancer patients are treated, announced that one of their staff tested positive for the virus.

(CGTN)