problems with availability of personal protection equipment, with procedures and sanitary regimes, as well as shortages of staff (including absence from work), in particular in establishments that provide 24hour care. It should be noted, however, that the letters had the form of recommendations and guidelines, and the responsibility for making final decisions rested with the local government authorities and directors of the institutions. The situation was also largely dependent on the homes’ relations with local sanitary inspectors, and the workload on sanitary inspectorates’ staff. At the end of September 2020, the media informed that the Ministry of Health, in consultation with the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy decided to prohibit visits to social care homes 345 because again the numbers of infections there were increasing. 24-hour care facilities Epidemiological situation The media information monitoring carried out by the NMPT demonstrated that infections were much less frequent in 24-hour care facilities than in SCHs. From March 2020 to the end of the year, the NMPT examined the situation in 11 facilities providing 24-hour care. According to the official data presented to the Sejm346 by Deputy Minister of Family Iwona Michałek as of 1 October, SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections were confirmed in 6 24-hour care facilities out of643 such facilities operating in Poland at that time. 49 residents and 12 staff members were infected. Between the first registered infection and 1 October, 204 residents of SCHs died of the infection. As indicated by the deputy minister, 99 residents of the facilities have died since the beginning of the pandemic due to the coronavirus infection. Availability of personal protection equipment and disinfectants In most of the care facilities, there were no problems with the availability of appropriate protection measures. They were often provided by voivodeship governors or local governments. The NMPT has positively assessed the availability of personal protection measures in private care facilities. 345 https://www.tvp.info/50020257/wiceminister-zdrowia-wprowadzilismy-zakaz-odwiedzin-w-dpsach 346 The Sejm of the 9th term of office, Office for the Parliamentary Committees. Full minutes of the session of the Senior Policy Committee (No. 10) of 6 October 2020. 132