A woman wearing a face mask walks on a street in Warsaw, Poland, Sept. 24, 2020. Poland reported 1,587 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the biggest daily number since the start of the pandemic in the country. (Photo: Jaap Arriens/Xinhua)

WARSAW, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The daily COVID-19 cases in Poland hit a record high of 18,820, bringing the country's total to 299,049, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 236 people have died from the virus-caused disease during the past day, bringing the country's death toll to 4,851.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Gazeta Polska weekly that the government is seeking a balance between protecting the health and lives of citizens and supporting the economy.

The government has recently decided to shut down fitness centers, cafes and restaurants. Citing epidemiologists, the prime minister said they believed that these places posed an increased risk of infections.

But the government has prepared a support package for those sectors hurt most by the coronavirus pandemic.

Morawiecki announced on Tuesday a support package worth about 393 million euros (461.93 million U.S. dollars) for the over 170,000 businesses that have been impacted by the restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the virus-caused disease.

Poland is also seeking possible therapies to the pandemic, with a candidate medicine developed from blood plasma of recovered patients undergoing testing in the eastern Polish town of Lublin.

Globally, many countries, including Germany, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are racing to find a vaccine against COVID-19.