Poles Flood Resorts As Restrictions Eased -- And Some Are Not Happy

Warsaw, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Feb, 2021 ) :Poles flocked to ski slopes and seaside resorts on Sunday as coronavirus restrictions were eased in time for Valentine's Day weekend, triggering complaints by local authorities of unruly tourists failing to wear masks and practise social distancing.

Provisionally in place until February 26, the eased anti-virus measures allow hotels, museum cinemas, theatres and pools to operate at half capacity to facilitate social distancing.

The move to drop restrictions is unusual in Europe, where neighbouring Germany closed its borders on Sunday with the Czech Republic and parts of Austria to stem the spread of highly infectious new coronavirus variants.

Poland's right-wing government eased the restrictions under pressure from the tourism sector, but said it would decide whether to clamp down again based on the infection rate in two weeks' time.

Gyms, fitness clubs water parks and restaurants remain closed, with only take-away meals allowed for the latter.

Exasperated by throngs of unruly tourists refusing to wear masks and abide by social distancing in the popular southern Tatra mountain ski resort of Zakopane, Mayor Leszek Dorula called for order on Sunday, warning that hotels "could be shut down again".

Zakopane police said they had their hands full over the weekend when arguments and fights broke out as thousand of tourists drank, sang and danced on the town's main street.

Throngs of tourists also crowded snow-covered beaches along the Baltic Sea coast in northern Poland on Sunday, with some braving the sub-zero weather to take part in Valentine's Day polar bear swims.

A European Union member of 38 million people, Poland has diagnosed 1,588,955 cases of Covid-19 and recorded 40,807 deaths related to the disease, with 1,342,031 recoveries since it was hit by the pandemic last March.