The football championship continues, the restaurants are open and the president describes the coronavirus crisis as "psychosis". Belarus is the exception in Europe, refusing to stop the country to stem the Covid-19 pandemic. A former Soviet republic at the gates of the European Union, Belarus has only 88 officially recorded cases of new coronavirus, and no deaths.
Since the start of the crisis, its president since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko, straight in his boots, refuses containment measures. Last week, he even denounced a “psychosis ”, affirming that the resulting “panic” was more dangerous than the virus itself. Used to verbal surges, he had previously called on his 9.5 million fellow citizens to continue working, to go to the fields, to drive tractors - which his country produces in mass - because "the tractor heals everyone".
Vodka and sauna are also among his miracle cures
Only in Europe to continue, the Belarusian football championship is the symbol of this approach. Unique measures put in place, thermal cameras check the temperature of spectators at the entrance to the stadiums, which are disinfected twice a day. Consequently, the unrecognized "Vysshaya Liga" is the attraction of the moment. Russian public television Match TV bought the rights and local ex-star Aliaksandr Hleb suggested in the German press that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo come to play there.
“We have taken all the measures recommended by the Ministry of Sports. All those who are in contact with the supporters (...) are provided with gloves ", assures AFP the spokesman for the Belarusian Football Federation, Alexandre Aleïnik. The drop in attendance is still noticeable: -50% last week compared to last season, which allows "to disperse fans in the stands" , according to Alexander Aleïnik.
Change of tone this week
However, since Tuesday, the tone has started to change. During a meeting with the Chinese ambassador, Alexandre Lukashenko assured that his country "very seriously" controls the situation and the newspapers of the public televisions suddenly started to speak about the pandemic. But they repeat that generalized confinement is not a solution. The capital Minsk has been quieter in recent days, with people over 65 being invited to stay at home and pupils allowed not to come to class. During rush hour, the metro is no longer full, with many companies switching to telework. But bars, cafes and shops remain open, with no specific instructions for customers.
The authorities justify the flexibility of the measures by strictly confining the patients. The Deputy Minister of Health, Elena Bogdan, assured that all the carriers of the coronavirus, even asymptomatic, were isolated and hospitalized. The people around them are all quarantined.
Read also
- Coronavirus: What impact on the five major championships?