Poland should stick with pandemic restrictions, says health minister

WARSAW, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski will recommend maintaining restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus, he said on Wednesday, despite a recent fall in new infections.

Most shops in shopping malls, hotels, ski resorts and schools in Poland have been closed since the end of December. Only children in the first three years of primary schools attend regular lessons.

As the number of new infections and deaths has fallen, government officials have suggested that some restrictions might be eased at the end of the month. A government announcement is expected this week.

"Maintaining restrictions seems most recommended to me. I am afraid of opening hotels and people travelling for late winter holiday. I absolutely do not recommend further opening of schools," Niedzielski told private radio Zet.

Poland has reported 1.48 million coronavirus cases and 35,665 related deaths since March. On Tuesday, the country of 38 million reported 4,604 new cases.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko Editing by Robert Birsel)