U.S. Embassy Warsaw will send a daily update to ensure all U.S citizens in the Warsaw Consular District have the latest information about COVID-19 (coronavirus) and local conditions. If different or additional information would be useful, please email us at ACSWarsaw@state.gov.
April 23, 2020
Location: Poland
Event: Message to U.S. citizens – Update on COVID-19 and Related Restrictions
New Updates:
- As of April 23, the Polish Ministry of Health has confirmed 10,346 cases of COVID-19 and 435 related deaths in Poland.
- LOT Polish Airlines has advised the Embassy that they will run one more charter flight from Warsaw to Chicago on Friday, April 24, at 4:40 PM. This flight is confirmed and may be your last option for a direct flight from Poland to the United States before commercial flights resume. Tickets for this flight will be booked directly with LOT. If you are interested in this flight and would like to book a seat and have not done so yet, you may consider traveling to Warsaw Chopin airport on Friday, April 24, to buy a ticket in person at the ticket office (kasa biletowa) located in Area E (Strefa E) near LOT’s business class check-in area. The ticket office will open at 1:00 PM. This option is only available for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders). This is not a U.S. government operated or funded flight. Availability and cancellations are controlled by LOT. At this time, the United States government has no plans to charter an evacuation flight out of Poland.
- On April 16, the Polish Government announced preliminary plans for lifting movement restrictions. As of Monday, April 20, the following restrictions have been updated:
- Smaller stores are allowed four customers in the store per register/payment point. Larger stores are allowed one customer per 15 m2 of space.
- Some recreational activity is allowed again. Forests and parks are open and running and cycling are permitted. But everyone must continue to keep social distance and cover their faces. Playgrounds are still closed.
- Religious worship permits one person per 15 m2 of space.
- People who are at least 13 years old can go out without adult supervision, but must follow social distancing rules and cover their faces.
- Note that face coverings or masks covering the mouth and nose continue to be required in public places, including, but not limited to, public streets, sidewalks, stores, government offices and places of employment. For more details about current restrictions on movement, please see the U.S. Embassy’s COVID-19 page or the Polish Government’s COVID-19 Page.
- Several drive-through COVID-19/coronavirus testing centers have opened up around Poland. For locations in Warsaw, Poznań, Krakow, and Łódź you can buy tests online at this website, and bring the code you receive to the test center you have selected. Note that the Życzkowski test center in Krakow only offers antibody testing, which the CDC does not recommend due to accuracy concerns. The Tauron Arena test center in Krakow offers the CDC-recommended test. For testing in Sosnowiec, you can complete online forms at this website, then proceed to the testing location at the designated time. This center uses PT-PCR testing. Neither the Polish nor the U.S. governments have implemented a requirement to be tested. The CDC website offers some factors to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to be tested.
Actions to Take:
- If you need a passport: U.S. Embassy Warsaw is still accepting applications for passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs), however, the facilities that print those documents have suspended their operations. All passport and CRBA applications submitted after April 2, 2020, will be printed when the facilities reopen. If you have an urgent need for a passport, please contact the Embassy at ACSWarsaw@state.gov.
- Follow all restrictions on movement that the Polish government has announced. A full list of these restrictions, as well as frequently updated guidance, can be found in English on the U.S. Embassy’s COVID-19 page and on the Polish Government’s COVID-19 Page. You may be subject to a fine of up to 30,000 Polish złoty for not adhering to these restrictions.
- Visit the CDC’s website about COVID-19 for up-to-date information from the U.S. government about the virus.
- Visit the State Department’s COVID-19 page and the U.S. Embassy’s COVID-19 page. Both have information specifically for travelers and the U.S. Embassy page is updated regularly with information relevant for U.S. citizens in Poland.
- Enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so the U.S. Embassy can contact you with updated information and in an emergency.
- Polish Government Resources:
- Visit the Polish Government’s COVID-19 Website for general health information, movement restrictions, and health tips.
- The Polish government has set up a national informational hotline for COVID-19 health-related inquiries. To reach this hotline, dial +48 800 190 590 and press 6 for an English-speaking operator. For emergency services, dial 112.
- Polish social service agencies provide assistance in obtaining food and medicine to those who are under home quarantine due to COVID-19. These services are available to both Polish citizens and foreigners. In Krakow, call +48 887 202 946 or +48 887 202 947 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or email kontakt@mops.krakow.pl after hours. In Warsaw, call +48 22 487-13-00.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland
Piękna 12
00-539, Warsaw
+48 22 504 2784 (business hours)
+48 22 504 2000 (after hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens)
ACSWarsaw@state.gov
https://pl.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Poland Country Information
Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.
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