New Polish education minister tests positive for coronavirus

The official swearing-in of Poland’s reshuffled government has been postponed until Tuesday and some members were put into quarantine after one of the ministers tested positive for COVID-19

WARSAW, Poland — The official swearing-in of Poland’s reshuffled government was postponed until Tuesday and some members were put into quarantine after one of the ministers tested positive for COVID-19.

The ceremony conducted by President Andrzej Duda had been planned at the Presidential Palace for Monday afternoon, but the new education minister, Przemyslaw Czarnek, said early in the day he had a headache and a test showed he was infected with the coronavirus. He went into quarantine.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki asked that the swearing-in be postponed, and it was moved to Tuesday afternoon, in the Presidential Palace gardens. Czarnek won’t attend.

Spokesman Piotr Mueller said that health authorities ordered four other government members who have had contact with Czarnek to go into 10-day quarantine. Mueller said the government work won’t suffer. because for some time now Cabinet sessions have been held remotely and online.

Poland is seeing a high rise in the number of registered COVID-19 cases, with more than 2,000 new cases diagnosed each day in recent weeks.