Poland halts work at virus-hit coalmines

WARSAW: Poland said Monday it would suspend work at 12 mines for three weeks after a record spike in new confirmed coronavirus cases in recent days at hotspots in the country´s southern Silesian coal basin.

The majority of new infections in Poland, which depends on coal for 80 percent of its power, are employees of a dozen coalmines and their family members, according to the health ministry. "Starting tomorrow, we will suspend work in two mines at the JSW mining group and in 10 mines of the PGG mining conglomerate... for three weeks," deputy prime minister Jacek Sasin said Monday, referring to two state-run coal companies, ranked the largest in the European Union. Both companies operate largely in the southern Silesia region, Poland´s current virus epicentre.