No Covid-19 restrictions if less than 5,000 hospitalisations says minister

New restrictions and testing will not be introduced if there are less than 5,000 hospitalisations, Poland's health minister said on Friday commenting on reports about a new rise in coronavirus infections.

Adam Niedzielski said that Covid-19 infections in Poland have risen around 60 percent over the past two weeks, but pointed out that the hospitalisation count would be the main criterion for introducing restrictions.

"We have decided that no restrictions will be introduced below 5,000 hospitalisations, and right now we have about 450," the minister said.

"In the present situation, we should focus on monitoring hospitalisations," Niedzielski said.

At the same time, he recommended that elderly people and those with immune system disorders should wear masks when in shops or on public transport.

Niedzielski added that the government saw more need for mass testing for the Covid-19 disease, as well as quarantining and isolation, rather than restrictions.

He also said that a sub-variant of Omicron virus, BA.5, is responsible for a quarter of all infections in Poland.