Letter from... Warsaw

By Barbara Czerniawska, Director at SEC Newgate

Yesterday representatives of the Polish Government announced that the economy would be gradually restarted as of 19th April. However, it is likely that the Government will hold making any final decisions on lifting any restrictions until we see the most recent data on the new cases of COVID-19.

As a traditionally very religious country, Easter posed a challenge for Poland. Whilst people in larger cities seemed to follow the rules of the quarantine, unfortunately, according to media reports, in smaller towns and villages Easter was treated as an opportunity for traditional, family meetings. As yet, we are not at the peak of infection and the latest forecasts suggest Poland is expected to reach this point on the 25th April.

The lockdown concerning schools has been extended until 26th April and from tomorrow (16th April) everyone will be obliged to wear face masks in public spaces. As a civic duty, celebrities and authorities encourage people to stay at home but astonishingly, the Polish Government is ploughing ahead with its preparations for a presidential election on the 10th May!

These contradictory signals make the nearest future unpredictable and the general patience and a social sense of responsibility may soon start to dwindle.