Warsaw, Apr 30 (IANS): Poland will downgrade its classification of the Covid-19 pandemic in mid-May, recognising an epidemic threat instead, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has announced.

Niedzielski told the Polish Press Agency that the decision had been discussed at various government levels, and was made "through a legal analysis".

Poland formally declared Covid-19 a full epidemic on March 20, 2020, giving the government powers to enact national restrictions to limit the spread of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported.

These measures included quarantine requirements and a mask mandate. However, most restrictions have gradually been lifted, with only mask-wearing in health institutions remaining obligatory.

Nearly six million cases of Covid-19 have been officially registered in Poland since 2020, causing 116,042 deaths.

Nearly 22.5 million people have been fully vaccinated against the disease in a country of 38.5 million inhabitants.