A rise in reported COVID-19 cases in Poland's coal mines has caused concern in the country. 

Three thousand cases have been reported and, in response, the government has closed 12 mines until the end of June. 

The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said the virus is "attacking the mines" because of the cramped working conditions which allow the virus to spread quickly. 

But Slawomir Starzynski, a spokesman for the JSW mining group, said that the majority of the cases reported at his company were either mild or asymptomatic. 

"Of the 3,000-some employees from our mines who tested positive for coronavirus, only three or four had to be hospitalized," he said. 

The mine outbreak and closures is a particularly sensitive issue ahead of the presidential election on 28 June in Poland where miners are still a powerful voting bloc. 

"We hope the government will go on to restore the mining sector," Dominik Kolorz, head of the Solidarity trade union for the Silesian coal basin, told AFP. 

He also said that he was concerned the virus could act as a pretext for the permanent closure of some mines across the country. 

But closing mines is not a simple task. 

"You can't just shut down a mine at the press of a button. It's a big job to isolate and secure large areas in order to avoid shafts closing up again and avoiding fires," said Sylwester Wilczek, deputy head of the health service at the Knurow Szczyglowice mine. 

The 12 mines that are facing closure all belong to the JSW mining group and the PGC conglomerate, which are Europe's two biggest coal companies. Both employ thousands of people.

Many miners have reportedly been playing down the severity of the virus in the mines because of fears of job losses. 

"I don't know what to think," one miner, Krzysztof, told AFP as he arrived for his shift. 

"The mine is working fine. I don't know why they're closing it." 

Poland's reliance on coal

Poland depends on coal for 80 percent on its power but it is not anticipated that the closures will have a negative impact on energy production as the country has ample stockpiles. 

The country's reliance on coal is a contentious issue within the European Union. Warsaw has refused to implement the bloc's target of being completely carbon neutral by 2050. 

Poland has demanded more time to make the transition to green energy - with an extension as far away as 2070 according to some sources. 

Poland's COVID-19 measures

The Polish government began easing coronavirus restrictions last month which allowed the reopening of restaurants. 

Public gathering limits were also increased to 150 people and the face mask rule was no longer compulsory for those abiding by social distancing rules. 

Campaigning is also going ahead for the afforementioned presidential election. The ballot was originally scheduled for 10 May but it was postponed at the last minute due to the pandemic. 

The Polish health minister, Lukasz Szumowski, has warned that the sharp rise in cases in the country could potentially lead to restrictions being re-introduced across the country to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Check out The Pandemic Playbook, CGTN Europe's major investigation into the lessons learnt from COVID-19