Miners in Poland's Silesia region to go back to work next week: PM

• The virus spread quickly in coal mines in Silesia, which as of Saturday had 138 new cases out of 168 in all of Poland, according to health ministry data.
•  Silesia has 5,132 confirmed coronavirus cases, while Poland has 18,184 in total and 912 deaths.

WARSAW: Miners in Poland's Silesia region, which has seen the largest concentration of coronavirus cases in the country, will be able to return to work on Monday and Tuesday, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday.

The virus spread quickly in coal mines in Silesia, which as of Saturday had 138 new cases out of 168 in all of Poland, according to health ministry data.

Silesia has 5,132 confirmed coronavirus cases, while Poland has 18,184 in total and 912 deaths.

Morawiecki said health and safety measures will be taken to allow for the miners to return to work and that there was no need to isolate the region.

"We are coming out of this rut, this difficult epidemic...we are saving hundreds of thousands of jobs here in Silesia," Morawiecki told reporters.