persons entering the centre premises (if body temperature exceeded 38°C, relevant sanitary
services were informed; people not working in the centre were not permitted to enter);
•
purchases of products for the foreign nationals were limited to the necessary minimum (and
were possible only in particularly justified cases);
•
the centre staff’s tasks that required direct contact with the foreigners were limited to a necessary
minimum403;
The number of people entering the centres was limited to a minimum, which applied to:
•
employees of companies contracted to carry out Polish language lessons, educational activities,
adjustment activities and integrating activities for the foreign nationals;
•
persons holding a permit issued by the Head of the Office for Foreigners to enter the centre for
the purpose of conducting classes/activities;
•
foreign nationals covered by social welfare benefits but not accommodated in the centre. The
exceptions were foreigners who received cash benefits to cover the costs of their stay outside
the centre but were covered by medical care within the centre. Persons who received medical
care within a given centre but were not residents of that centre, were permitted to enter only
after a telephone consultation with the medical personnel. In addition, the beneficiaries of
assistance provided by the Office for Foreigners received relevant recommendations concerning
the necessity to limit interpersonal contacts404.
According to the information provided by the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard, there
were no possibilities to order paid preventive tests detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus for all foreigners
newly admitted to the guarded centres. The tests were carried out only in persons who had symptoms of
COVID-19, after taking their medical history. Foreigners who reported symptoms suggesting SARSCoV-2 infection, were notified to the competent sanitary and epidemiological services for the purpose
of conducting medical examinations and further procedures. Decisions on quarantine were taken by the
sanitary services405.
All guarded centres for foreigners were prepared for isolating infected people. There was a room
for isolation and observation of foreign nationals in each of the centres. The detainees had to undergo a
medical consultation in the case of symptoms indicating a possibility of infection 406. As of 19 March
2020, the Border Guard had a total of seven medical isolation rooms (with a total capacity of 12 persons)
located in the guarded centres in: Białystok (two rooms, four places), Lesznowola (one room, one place),
403
See: letter of the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard of 19 March 2020, KG-CU-IV.072.1.2020.
404
See: letter from the Head of the Office for Foreigners of 20 March 2020, DPS.WII.0733.2.2020/KL.
405
See: letter of the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard of 19 March 2020, KG-CU-IV.072.1.2020.
406
See: letter from the Head of the Office for Foreigners of 20 March 2020, DPS.WII.0733.2.2020/KL.
147
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