Poland records highest daily rise in coronavirus cases

Poland reported 615 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, setting a new daily record, as authorities mulled reintroducing mandatory quarantines for travellers from some countries.

The health ministry's Twitter site also reported 15 deaths over the past day, raising the number of fatalities to 1,709 in a country of 38 million people.

Coronavirus infections tallied at 45,031, including 33,643 recoveries on Thursday, with communities in the southern coal mining belt particularly hard hit.

Poland was among the first EU members to introduce sweeping measures to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, including shutting its borders to foreign travellers, closing schools and urging citizens to stay home.

Government spokesman Piotr Muller said Warsaw was considering mandatory quarantines for travellers from "select European Union or non-EU countries", including Spain, within the next three weeks.

The pandemic forced Poland to postpone its May 10 presidential election by over a month.

Poles were required to wear masks, use hand sanitiser and respect social distancing rules as they voted on June 28 and July 12 in two rounds of the tight race that handed right-wing President Andrzej Duda a second term.

© 2020 AFP