In 2020, Poles faced several lockdowns caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For the majority of respondents, this situation did not affect their relationship. However, five percent of Poles admitted that they thought about divorce for the first time during the lockdown.

On May 18, 2020, the government in Poland lifted the restriction on the closure of foodservices, beauty, and hairdressing zones in shopping centers. This decision's effect was a visible change in the number of visits to shopping malls compared to the period before the closure of food and service outlets.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Nearly one in two Poles believed that hotels and restaurants' restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic should be lifted first. One in five stated that shopping malls and cultural and sports centers should be opened first in 2021.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

This dataset contains the "Situation of labour migrants from Ukraine in the first COVID-19 lockdown period in Poland" survey raw data submitted to the Data in Brief Journal. The survey was conducted in May and June 2020 using an online form. The participants were 617 Ukrainian migrant workers who have remained in Poland during first COVID-19 lockdown.

Measurement properties.

pone.0252423.t007 - Dynamic capabilities, value creation and value capture: Evidence from SMEs under Covid-19 lockdown in Poland

Ordered logistic regression for SME goals during the coronavirus crisis.

The period of isolation and the aftermath of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had an impact on Polish people's eating behavior. In 2021, just over 40 percent of respondents declared that their eating habits have changed.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Several urban landscape planning solutions have been introduced around the world to find a balance between developing urban spaces, maintaining and restoring biodiversity, and enhancing quality of human life. Our global mini-review, combined with analysis of big data collected from Google Trends at global scale, reveals the importance of enjoying day-to-day contact with nature and engaging in such activities as nature observation and identification and gardening for the mental well-being of humans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Home-based activities, such as watching birds from one’s window, identifying species of plants and animals, backyard gardening, and collecting information about nature for citizen science projects, were popular during the first lockdown in spring 2020, when people could not easily venture out of their homes. In our mini-review, we found 37 articles from 28 countries with a total sample of 114,466 people. These papers suggest that home-based engagement with nature was an entertaining and pleasant distraction that helped preserve mental well-being during a challenging time. According to Google Trends, interest in such activities increased during lockdown compared to the previous five years. Millions of people worldwide are chronically or temporarily confined to their homes and neighborhoods because of illness, childcare chores, or elderly care responsibility, which makes it difficult for them to travel far to visit such places as national parks, created through land sparing, where people go to enjoy nature and relieve stress. This article posits that for such people, living in an urban landscape designed to facilitate effortless contact with small natural areas is a more effective way to receive the mental health benefits of contact with nature than visiting a sprawling nature park on rare occasions. Methods 1. Identifying the most common types of activities related to nature observation, gardening, and taxa identification during the first lockdown based on scientific articles and non-scientific press For scientific articles, in March 2023 we searched Scopus and Google Scholar. For countries where Google is restricted, such as China, similar results will be available from other scientific browsers, with the highest number of results from our database being available from Scopus. We used the Google Search browser to search for globally published non-scientific press articles. Some selection criteria were applied during article review. Specifically, we excluded articles that were not about the first lockdown; did not study activities at a local scale (from balcony, window, backyard) but rather in areas far away from home (e.g., visiting forests); studied the mental health effect of observing indoor potted plants and pet animals; or transiently mentioned the topic or keyword without going into any scientific detail. We included all papers that met our criteria, that is, studies that analyzed our chosen topic with experiments or planned observations. We included all research papers, but not letters that made claims without any data. Google Scholar automatically screened the title, abstract, keywords, and the whole text of each article for the keywords we entered. All articles that met our criteria were read and double-checked for keywords and content related to the keywords (e.g., synonyms or if they presented content about the relevant topic without using the specific keywords). We identified, from both types of articles, the major nature-based activities that people engaged in during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. Keywords used in this study were grouped into six main topics: (1) COVID-19 pandemic; (2) nature-oriented activity focused on nature observation, identification of different taxa, or gardening; (3) mental well-being; (4) activities performed from a balcony, window, or in gardens; (5) entertainment; and (6) citizen science (see Table 1 for all keywords). 2. Increase in global trends in interest in nature observation, gardening, and taxa identification during the first lockdown We used the categorical cluster method, which was combined with big data from Google Trends (downloaded on 1 September 2020) and anomaly detection to identify trend anomalies globally in peoples’ interests. We used this combination of methods to examine whether interest in nature-based activities that were mentioned in scientific and nonscientific press articles increased during the first lockdown. Keywords linked with the main types of nature-oriented activities, as identified from press and scientific articles, and used according to the categorical clustering method were classified into the following six main categories: (1) global interest in bird-watching and bird identification combined with citizen science; (2) global interest in plant identification and gardening combined with citizen science; (3) global interest in butterfly watching, (4) local interest in early-spring (lockdown time), summer, or autumn flowering species that usually can be found in Central European (country: Poland) backyards; (5) global interest in traveling and social activities; and (6) global interest in nature areas and activities typically enjoyed during holidays and thus requiring traveling to land-spared nature reserves. The six categories were divided into 15 subcategories so that we could attach relevant words or phrases belonging to the same cluster and typically related to the activity (according to Google Trends and Google browser’s automatic suggestions; e.g., people who searched for “bird-watching” typically also searched for “binoculars,” “bird feeder,” “bird nest,” and “birdhouse”). The subcategories and keywords used for data collection about trends in society’s interest in the studied topic from Google Trends are as follows.

Bird-watching: “binoculars,” “bird feeder,” “bird nest,” “birdhouse,” “bird-watching”; Bird identification: “bird app,” “bird identification,” “bird identification app,” “bird identifier,” “bird song app”; Bird-watching combined with citizen science: “bird guide,” “bird identification,” “eBird,” “feeding birds,” “iNaturalist”; Citizen science and bird-watching apps: “BirdNET,” “BirdSong ID,” “eBird,” “iNaturalist,” “Merlin Bird ID”; Gardening: “gardening,” “planting,” “seedling,” “seeds,” “soil”; Shopping for gardening: “garden shop,” “plant buy,” “plant ebay,” “plant sell,” “plant shop”; Plant identification apps: “FlowerChecker,” “LeafSnap,” “NatureGate,” “Plantifier,” “PlantSnap”; Citizen science and plant identification: “iNaturalist,” “plant app,” “plant check,” “plant identification app,” “plant identifier”; Flowers that were flowering in gardens during lockdown in Poland: “fiołek” (viola), “koniczyna” (shamrock), “mlecz” (dandelion), “pierwiosnek” (primose), “stokrotka” (daisy). They are typical early-spring flowers growing in the gardens in Central Europe. We had to be more specific in this search because there are no plant species blooming across the world at the same time. These plant species have well-known biology; thus, we could easily interpret these results; Flowers that were not flowering during lockdown in Poland: “chaber” (cornflower), “mak” (poppy), “nawłoć” (goldenrod), “róża” (rose), “rumianek” (chamomile). They are typical mid-summer flowering plants often planted in gardens; Interest in traveling long distances and in social activities that involve many people: “airport,” “bus,” “café,” “driving,” “pub”; Single or mass commuting, and traveling: “bike,” “boat,” “car,” “flight,” “train”; Interest in distant places and activities for visiting natural areas: “forest,” “nature park,” “safari,” “trekking,” “trip”; Places and activities for holidays (typically located far away): “coral reef,” “rainforest,” “safari,” “savanna,” “snorkeling”; Butterfly watching: “butterfly watching,” “butterfly identification,” “butterfly app,” “butterfly net,” “butterfly guide”;

In Google Trends, we set the following filters: global search, dates: July 2016–July 2020; language: English.

Since the coronavirus outbreak in Poland (March 4, 2020), the number of requests for designating pedestrian or car routes in the Apple Maps application has decreased on average by half compared to January 13, 2020. As of April 13, Polish Apple Maps users sent 73 percent fewer requests for driving routes and 84 percent fewer requests for walking directions compared to the same period in January 2020. The increased activity of Poles between mid-April and May results from changes introduced by the government to gradually restart the economy and lift restrictions related to the pandemic. Since 20 April, some rules concerning shopping, entering forests and parks, and the movement of young people over 13 years old have been loosened. On 4 May, the government decided to reopen shopping centers and hotels, libraries, and museums but introduced health and safety restrictions. Since 6 May, kindergartens and crèches have been reopened.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

In 2020, as a result of the lockdown caused by the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in Poland, the cinemas and gastronomy suffered the most. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The results showed that the Polish respondents differed significantly in the severity of depression and generalized anxiety symptoms in the observed period. During the summer months, when COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions were less severe, the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms was lower than during the months of full lockdown.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The structure of the sample.

The data collection consists of 40 qualitative interviews with Polish migrant essential workers living in the UK and 10 in-depth expert interviews with key stakeholders providing information and support to migrant workers in the UK. All migrant interviews are in Polish. Six of the expert interviews with key stakeholders are in English and four are in Polish. Fieldwork was conducted fully online during the Covid-19 pandemic between March and August 2021, following the third UK-wide Covid-19 lockdown. Restrictions were still in place in some localities. Interviews took place shortly after the end of the transition period concluding the UK’s European Union exit on 1 January 2021. All Polish migrant worker interviewees entered the UK before 1 January 2021 and had the option to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

The objectives of the qualitative fieldwork were to: 1. To synthesise empirical and theoretical knowledge on the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on migrant essential workers. 2. To establish how the pandemic affected Polish migrant essential worker's lives; and expert interviews with stakeholders in the public and third/voluntary sector to investigate how to best support and retain migrant essential workers in COVID-19 recovery strategies. The project also involved: - co-producing policy outputs with partner organisations in England and Scotland; and - an online survey to measure how Polish migrant essential workers across different roles and sectors were impacted by COVID-19 in regard to health, social, economic and cultural aspects, and intentions to stay in the UK/return to Poland (deposited separately to University of Sheffield). Key findings included significant new knowledge about the health, social, economic and cultural impacts of Covid-19 on migrant essential workers. Polish essential workers were severely impacted by the pandemic with major mental health impacts. Mental health support was insufficient throughout the UK. Those seeking support typically turned to private (online) services from Poland as they felt they could not access them in the UK because of language or cultural barriers, lack of understanding of the healthcare system and pathways to mental health support, support being offered during working hours only, or fear of the negative impact of using mental health services on work opportunities. Some participants were in extreme financial hardship, especially those with pre-settled status or those who arrived in the UK during the pandemic. The reasons for financial strain varied but there were strong patterns linked to increased pressure at work, greater exposure to Covid-19 as well as redundancies, pay cuts and rejected benefit applications. There was a tendency to avoid applying for state financial support. These impacts were compounded by the sense of isolation, helplessness, or long-distance grief due to inability to visit loved ones in Poland. Covid-19 impacted most detrimentally on women with caring responsibilities, single parents and people in the health and teaching sectors. The most vulnerable Polish migrant essential workers - e.g. those on lower income, with pre-existing health conditions, restricted access to support and limited English proficiency - were at most risk. Discrimination was reported, including not feeling treated equally in the workplace. The sense of discrimination two-fold: as essential workers (low-paid, low-status, unsafe jobs) and as Eastern Europeans (frequent disciplining practices, treated as threat, assumed to be less qualified). In terms of future plans, some essential workers intended to leave the UK or were unsure about their future place of residence. Brexit was a major reason for uncertain settlement plans. Vaccine hesitancy was identified, based on doubts about vaccination, especially amongst younger respondents who perceived low risks of Covid-19 for their own health, including women of childbearing age, who may have worries over unknown vaccine side-effects for fertility. Interview participants largely turned to Polish language sources for vaccination information, especially social media, and family and friends in Poland. This promoted the spread of misinformation as Poland has a strong anti-vaccination movement.

COVID-19 has exposed the UK's socio-economic dependence on a chronically insecure migrant essential workforce. While risking their lives to offset the devastating effects of the pandemic, migrant workers reportedly find themselves in precarious professional and personal circumstances (temporary zero-hours contracts, work exploitation, overcrowded accommodation, limited access to adequate health/social services including Universal Credit). This project will investigate the health, social, economic and cultural impacts of COVID-19 on the migrant essential workforce and how these might impact on their continued stay in the UK. It will focus on the largest non-British nationality in the UK, the Polish community, who - while employed across a range of roles and sectors - are overrepresented in lower-paid essential work. We will use this group as an illustrative case study to make wider claims and policy recommendations about migrant work during the pandemic. Using a mixed-methods approach, we will conduct: an online survey to map COVID-19 impacts; in-depth qualitative interviews to establish how the pandemic has affected worker's lives; and expert interviews with stakeholders to investigate how to best support and retain migrant essential workers in COVID-19 recovery strategies. The results will generate the first comprehensive UK-wide dataset on the experiences of migrant essential workers against the backdrop of COVID-19. The research, co-produced with partner organisations (Polish Expats Associations, Fife Migrants Forum, PKAVS Minority Communities Hub and Polish Social and Cultural Association), will generate a policy briefing, a toolkit for employers in the essential work sectors, information resources for migrant workers, alongside media and academic outputs.

The tropospheric NO2 column from Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI (2018–2020) and Aura/OMI (2010–2020) over Poland, notably for 7 major Polish cities, was used to assess the annual variability and the COVID-19 lockdown effect. On a national scale, during lockdown (March–June 2020), strong sources of pollution were found in Katowice and Warszawa, as well as at the power plant in Bełchatów. A gradual drop in OMI NO2 values between March and June was found for all cities and the entire domain of Poland, this being a part of the annual NO2 cycle derived for every year from 2010 to 2020. In fact, the gradual drop of NO2 in the lockdown year was within the typical monthly and annual variability. In March 2020, Kraków showed the highest NO2 reduction rate. A reduction of NO2 was observed in Gdańsk, Wrocław, and Warszawa during every month of the lock-down period. Several factors, including wind speed and direction, temperature, and increased emission sources, can limit the dispersion and removal of NO2. Although meteorological conditions have a significant impact on the annual cycle of NO2 in Poland, it is important to note that anthropogenic emissions remain the primary driver of NO2 concentrations. Therefore, the study concludes that the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on NO2 pollution was negligible and clarifies the current understanding of the COVID-19 effect over Poland, with an emphasis on hotspots in the major Polish cities and their vicinity. This is consistent with our understanding that the reduction of NO2 pollution is seen in cities due to reduced traffic (domestic, municipal, and airborne).

The period of isolation and the aftermath of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic had an impact on Polish people's eating behavior. In 2021, those who were most likely to introduce new eating habits were Poles aged between 23 and 35 years old. Moreover, developing new eating habits was also a popular activity among six in ten respondents with a monthly net income ranging between four and seven thousand zloty.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

First-order dynamic capabilities in turbulent times.

Background: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (April to May 2020), 6,169 Polish and 939 Italian residents were surveyed with an online questionnaire investigating socio-demographic information and personality traits (first section) as well as attitudes, position, and efficacy perceptions on the impact of lockdown (second section) and various health protection measures enforced (third section).Methods: The “health protection attitude score” (HPAS), an endpoint obtained by pooling up the answers to questions of the third section of the survey tool, was investigated by multiple linear regression models, reporting regression coefficients (RC) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).Results: Concerns for business and health due to COVID-19 were associated with a positive attitude toward risk reduction rules. By contrast, male sex, concerns about the reliability of information available online on COVID-19 and its prevention, along with the feeling of not being enough informed on the transmissibility/prevention of SARS-CoV-2 were associated with a negative attitude toward risk mitigation measures.Discussion: A recent literature review identified two social patterns with different features in relation to their attitude toward health protection rules against the spread of COVID-19. Factors positively associated with adherence to public health guidelines were perceived threat of COVID-19, trust in government, female sex, and increasing age. Factors associated with decreased compliance were instead underestimation of the COVID-19 risk, limited knowledge of the pandemic, belief in conspiracy theories, and political conservativism. Very few studies have tested interventions to change attitudes or behaviors.Conclusion: To improve attitude and compliance toward risk reduction norms, a key intervention is fostering education and knowledge on COVID-19 health risk and prevention among the general population. However, information on COVID-19 epidemiology might be user-generated and contaminated by social media, which contributed to creating an infodemic around the disease. To prevent the negative impact of social media and to increase adherence to health protection, stronger content control by providers of social platforms is recommended.

In 2020, more than three times more women than men in Poland quit their jobs to care for their homes and children during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, when working remotely, ** percent of women chose to work from home because of the need to care for a child compared to **** percent of men.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

COVID pandemic and the second lockdown in November 2020 caused almost every hotel in Poland to expect a return to its former revenues in 2022. Eight out of 10 hotels also declared that they were experiencing liquidity problems, and nearly 60 percent were planning layoffs before the end of December 2020.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.