Warsaw | More than 100,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Poland since the start of the pandemic, the government of the country said on Tuesday, where the death rate from the disease is one of the highest in the world.
“It is still a sad day, but particularly today because we have crossed the threshold of 100,000 deaths,” Minister of Health Adam Niedzielski told the TVN24 news channel.
The minister specified that, according to the latest daily statement, 493 people died, bringing the total of Covid-related deaths to 100,254. He stressed that 18,000 people were currently hospitalized.
According to a count established by AFP based on the latest official data available, Poland has recorded 14.31 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants during the last 14 days. It is the sixth highest death rate in the world after Trinidad and Tobago, Moldova, Georgia, Hungary and San Marino.
Neighboring Germany, where the rate stands at 4.31, is in 26th place.
Only some 63% of adults in Poland are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the lowest levels in the European Union.
The government encouraged Poles to get vaccinated but was criticized by the opposition for not taking stronger actions, such as vaccination certificates.
To date, Italy is the country with the most Covid-related deaths in the European Union (more than 139,000), followed by France, Germany and Poland.