consultation with the SCH directors and poviat sanitary inspectors. This makes it possible to adjust the solutions to the epidemiological situation in a given municipality or poviat where individual institutions operated. However, many directors were uncertain about making decisions to resume visits or allow the residents to leave the SCH premises. In their opinion, the risk of getting infected was too large and they did not want to take the responsibility for the lives and health of the residents and the staff. As a result, they maintained the earlier decisions regarding, for example, the prohibition of visits, without taking into account the possibilities of minimizing the risk of infection. ☞ In the opinion of the NMPT, the introduced restrictions should be proportional to the existing risk and should take into account alternative solutions. Restrictions on the rights of residents, undermining their basic rights, may only be introduced pursuant to parliamentary acts. In this context, the actions taken by some voivodeship governors who monitored the implementation of the recommendations by individual care institutions should be appreciated. Voivodeship governors also reminded that if visits cannot be restored, alternative forms of contact with relatives should be provided, e.g. using online communicators or video calls. Some social care homes also reported taking additional activities, including therapy and physical rehabilitation during the epidemic, and activities to support and improve the well-being of the residents. The possibility to practice outdoor activities was also very important. Reinstatement of restrictions Unfortunately, in the summer and fall of 2020 the coronavirus incidence increased significantly. Therefore, the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy sent a letter dated 5 August 2020344 to the executive bodies of local governments, stating that once again actions aimed at limiting direct contact of residents of social care homes with people from outside the institutions should be introduced. Also, the minister recommended testing of newly admitted residents immediately and their temporary separation from the other residents, as well as the limitation of the number of staff working in direct contact with newly admitted residents. The Minister also emphasized the importance of testing employees of social care homes before allowing them to work after a longer absence, or in the event of a justified suspicion of contact with an infected person. Such tests should be conducted in cooperation with local sanitary services and the voivodeship government. On 7 August 2020, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy sent another letter to the voivodeship governors regarding ongoing monitoring of actions to counteract the negative effects of the epidemic. He also requested voivodeship governors to report any problems in combating the coronavirus epidemic, e.g. 344 Ref.no. DPS-I.070.69.2020. 131