During Tuesday’s conference, the head of the Ministry of Health emphasized that since the beginning of the pandemic, the ministry has been stressing how important it is to comply with restrictions and sanitary and epidemiological standards.
– We are trying to convince people of the danger we are facing and of the importance of using preventive measures: maintaining distance and wearing masks, as well as the enormous importance of complying with the restrictions that are being introduced systematically – Adam NiedzielskiAdam Niedzielski pointed out. He emphasized that in the current epidemiological situation, he considers wearing a mask one of the norms of social coexistence.
The minister noted that many people do not comply with the restrictions. Therefore, the Ministry of Health and the National Police Headquarters have developed solutions enabling more effective enforcement of the restrictions in force. – We want to announce a policy of zero tolerance for failure to comply with these strict rules concerning restrictions and the principles of social coexistence related to observing DDM: disinfection, distancing and masks
– said Minister Adam Niedzielski. People with a medical certificate or a document confirming a disability will be exempt from the obligation to cover their mouth and nose.
Inspector General Jarosław Szymczyk noted that, until now, the regulations allowing people not to cover their mouth and nose had often been abused. He stated that during the previous 24 hours alone, officers recorded 2,150 violations of the obligation to cover the mouth and nose across the country. They issued 100 tickets and approximately 50 applications for punishment. – From Saturday, people will have to present a certificate confirming such ailments or dysfunctions. We, as officers, will approach the obligation to cover the mouth and nose very rigorously – assured the police chief.
Inspector General Jarosław Szymczyk emphasized that in every case of a violation of the regulations, a police officer would decide whether to limit the response to an admonition, issue a ticket, submit an application for punishment, or submit an application to the sanitary inspectorate to initiate administrative proceedings. Minister Adam Niedzielski announced a new ban on making premises available for events. It concerns food-service establishments whose business activities do not include organizing events but which make their space available for this purpose. Another provision tightening the restrictions in force throughout the country concerns introducing a limit of 150 people at gatherings and a minimum distance of at least 100 meters between gatherings.
The head of the Ministry of Health recalled that a new package of restrictions would take effect this Saturday in the green, yellow and red zones. It introduces limits on the number of people participating in gatherings, including family celebrations: up to 100 people in the green zone and up to 75 people in the yellow zone. In the red zone, the limit of 50 people will remain.
A new restriction will be introduced in the red zone: restaurants, pubs and bars will be allowed to operate only until 10 p.m. In turn, the obligation to cover the mouth and nose outdoors will be expanded and will also apply in the yellow zone, rather than, as before, only in the red zone.
As announced by Minister Adam Niedzielski, the ministry will use the alert system of the Government Security Centre to inform residents about the introduction of a specific zone. On Friday afternoons, the Ministry of Health plans to send text messages to residents informing them that a yellow or red zone has been introduced in a given county.
Source: gov.pl