to work by specially assigned means of public transport325. Some of the institutions, in accordance with the ministerial recommendations, introduced changes to their work systems. For example, in the SCH in Skierniewice326 care staff were divided into teams to limit contacts, and administrative staff remained separated from the residential part of the building by a closed corridor. They worked remotely whenever this was possible. It should not be forgotten that work performance in the homes in the time of quarantine was very difficult. The deputy mayor of Poznań emphasized that the staff members who worked long hours327 at the SCH at ul. Sielska were very tired. He pointed out that the situation changed with time. The mental and physical condition of the personnel (15 people) who left the home after 17 days of quarantine improved. The initial difficulties were partially overcome. Eight regular staff members and seven nunsvolunteers (including four nurses in total) took care of 46 residents of the home. The Commissioner for Human Rights wrote to the Prime Minister at the beginning of April 2020 emphasizing physical and mental exhaustion of employees of care institutions and the need to ensure more tests for the staff.328 Medical care The evacuation of some of the care homes showed that the provision of effective medical care to the residents was sometimes impossible. This was pointed out by representatives of the authorities operating the homes. The head of the Bełchatów poviat indicated that in the local SCH, medical support was possible only in the form of telephone consultations i.e remote consultations. Some local government representatives also pointed out that social care homes were not prepared for medical treatment of people suffering of infectious diseases. Availability of personal protection equipment and disinfectants It was of great importance to supply adequate personal protection measures for the personnel, to ensure availability of disinfectants, and to introduce other solutions and procedures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was particularly difficult to buy disinfectants as there were shortages on the market. Notably, in some institutions, in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, separate parts of the buildings were assigned to healthy residents and to infected ones. 325 Letter of 10 April 2020. 326 Letter of 28 April 2020. 327 Letter of 27 May 2020. 328 General intervention letter of the Commissioner for Human Rights of 4 April 2020, ref. no. III.7065.67.2020. 127