The coronavirus crossed the plans of not only tourists, but businesses which live off tourism. Closed hotels and ski resorts are only a small percentage of the national economy of Poland. Not only the country’s budget, but also the whole of the Polish society will suffer huge financial losses.
Alongside previously introduced restrictions, hotels, shopping malls and ski resorts will be closed starting December 28th. On New Year’s Eve there will be a curfew from 7 pm to 6 am the following day.
“All people coming to Poland via organised transport will be subject to mandatory quarantine for 10 days.” stated Adam Niedzielski, the Minister of Health.
More than 250 thousand companies will be eligible to benefit from the so-called Financial Shield 6.0, which allows for businesses to apply for state donations. However, the shield barely covers the hotel industry, which will cease to operate following Christmas.
“We won’t be able to earn a penny. It’s a huge change, because previously hotels could operate in a limited way, host delegations and such, and now the revenue will amount to zero, while the costs of keeping a hotel are enormous.” said Andrzej Burkiewicz, the head of the Polish Hotel Industry and a hotel owner.
Other entrepreneurs also look anxiously toward increasing restrictions.
“These restrictions will surely hurt the economy. We are now waiting for the regulations, because details will play a huge role here.” commented Jakub Bińkowski from the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers.
Gyms and swimming pools remain closed, although they can still operate in a limited way – for people preparing for competitions or for organised classes. Residents of Warsaw have mixed feelings regarding the new restrictions.
“These restrictions are just illogical, I think the greatest crowds will gather during Christmas, not after.” said one Varsovian.
Less than 24 hours after new limitations were announced, more are already on the horizon. Today, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated in an interview for Wirtualna Polska that the government is considering introducing even bigger restrictions, which would require a change of the law.