The British media noticed the participation of Polish soldiers and doctors in testing the truck drivers waiting to cross the La Manche Channel to France for the presence of coronavirus. Polish diaspora also helps.
After France had closed the boundary with the UK on Sunday because of the spread of a new coronavirus variant in the country, over 3000 trucks were stuck around Dover. There are also many Polish drivers waiting to travel to France. On Tuesday evening, the UK agreed with France to restore traffic across the Channel. Truck drivers, like several other groups of people, will be able to cross the channels from Wednesday after showing a negative coronavirus test result, not older than the one made 72 hours ago.
The British army helped to carry the tests out, as well as groups of French firefighters and Polish medics, and army. First, at night from Thursday to Friday, 36 doctors, diagnosticians, nurses and paramedics from the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Polish Medical Air Rescue, Water Voluntary Rescue Service (WOPR) and other services helped to carry out the tests, and since Friday there has been a similarly large group of soldiers from the Territorial Defense Forces and Armed Forces General Command.
The participation of Polish soldiers was noticed by the British news agency PA Media, whose text was reprinted or later used by several newspapers and Internet portals such as ‘Evening Standard’, ‘Metro’, ‘Daily Mirror’.
‘On Friday, the movement in Dover went smoothly, and French firefighters and Polish soldiers from the Territorial Defense Forces were also involved in the testing. Poland called it a ‘Zumbach’ operation, referring to the Polish pilot from World War II, Jan Zumbach, who fought in the ranks of the Allies in the Battle of Britain,’ wrote PA Media.
These words are also quoted by The London Economic – which describes itself as liberal and pro-European – one of the texts is entitled ‘Polish soldiers and French firefighters help unload congestion in Kent’ and quotes one of the twits in the subtitle:
‘The day after the UK decided it doesn’t need Europe, we accept help from French firefighters and Polish Territorial Defense Forces to testing for COVID’
The Daily Mail also mentions the participation of the Territorial Defense Forces by posting on the website several photos of Polish soldiers and a video recording of their work. The KentLive website, on the other hand, noted the spontaneous help given to truck drivers.
‘Some European citizens living in England have come to help their countrymen, who are stuck in Kent. (…) The Polish community has also given considerable support’ it was written.