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| - Poland's government on Tuesday further tightened measures taken to curb the spread of coronavirus, notably restricting the freedom of movement of youths, closing parks and hotels and limiting the number of shoppers. "With every reckless, unnecessary instance of leaving the house, the pandemic drags on... We have to strictly adhere to social distancing rules," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters. "They are crucial here so that the light at the end of the tunnel can in fact be ever more visible for us all eventually." To crack down on youth social gatherings, children under the age of 18 will now only be able to leave the house in the presence of an adult. Hair and beauty salons, tattoo parlours, parks, beaches and most hotels will now be closed and city bicycle systems will be unavailable. A maximum of three people per cash register will be allowed inside grocery stores and pharmacies at one time to help maintain a social distance of two metres (about six feet). Between 10 a.m. and noon every day, only seniors will be allowed to shop. Most of the new measures will come into effect on Wednesday and last two weeks, though they may be extended. They will be enforced by police and punishable by a fine of between 5,000 and 30,000 zloty (1,100-6,600 euros, $1,200-7,200). Poland had already closed all schools, theatres, pools, museums and shut its borders to foreign visitors. Restaurants are only offering takeaway service and public gatherings are limited to two people. The government has yet to postpone a presidential election scheduled for May 10, despite growing pressure from the public, opposition parties, medical workers and even members of the right-wing governing party. The EU member of 38 million people has 2,132 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 31 deaths. amj/wdb
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