Market Square in Wrocław, Poland. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Poland is banning from Wednesday direct flights from 44 countries including Spain, Israel and Romania in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the Central European country, the government said on Tuesday.

The United States, Malta, Montenegro, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and India are also on the list of countries, but local media reported that Russia and China had been removed from it.

The move follows measures to reintroduce restrictions on public life in the worst affected parts of the country, as the government tries to tackle the spread of the virus without resorting to a complete lockdown.

Poles are, however, allowed to fly to and from any country they want if they choose indirect flights through countries that are not on the list, such as Germany.

Poland, a country of 38 million, has officially registered 67,922 COVID-19 infections and more than 2,000 people have died from the virus.

On Tuesday, 550 new infections were registered, according to Health Ministry data.