Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko does not appear too concerned about the Covid 19 pandemic. He took part in a hockey game on Saturday in Minsk, and most of the country is staying open and active.
Several other sporting events are also taking place, as the country is taking few, if any, measures in reaction to the coronavirus.
“It’s better to die standing than to live on your knees,” President Lukashenko told Reuters at the hockey rink.
As most countries enforce strict measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, fans continued to shuffle into football grounds as they would any other weekend.
Few social distancing measures appear to be in force, but spectators at some grounds did have their temperatures checked before being granted entry.
A small number of fans opted to wear face masks while huddled together in packed stands, but they were few and far between.
Belarusian football organisers have said they have no intention of postponing matches or cancelling the season – and the country’s leader has also shown that he is keen for sporting fixtures to continue.
President Alexander Lukashenko took part in an ice hockey match on Saturday – controversially declaring that sport “is the best anti-virus remedy”.
In recent weeks, the president has suggested that Belarusians should drink 50ml of vodka a day to ward off the virus, but not at work – advice that is completely at odds with recommendations from the World Health Organisation.
He has also stated that regular trips to the sauna, working in the fields and having breakfast on time are the best ways to stay healthy – dismissing stricter measures imposed in neighbouring Russia and elsewhere as “frenzy and psychosis”.
Mr Lukashenko has also vowed that Belarus will still celebrate Victory Day on 9 May – a day when elderly veterans from World War Two parade through the streets. This is despite data that shows older people are more susceptible to contracting coronavirus in public spaces.
According to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency, the president said: “We are not cancelling anything. We will host all the events we have planned … Let God protect us from the coronavirus.”
Video report from The Guardian:
It should be noted that Lukashenko is widely considered Europe’s last dictator, having risen to power in 1994 and not stepping down since. Many have criticized him and called him an authoritarian, much in the vein of the North Korean dynasty.
