It is not necessary to introduce quarantine measures in Belarus, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said during his Sunday’s working trip to Narovlya district.
When COVID-19 started to spread in Belarus, Lukashenka decided to play in off the cuff, he said.
“If we need to isolate [someone], we will isolate [them]. If quarantine is needed, we will impose it. If we need to place the country under curfew, we will do that. But do our people really need it now? No, they don’t! But certain persons are pushing us in the back, demanding quarantine and calling Lukashenka names. There is no such need! We do not deny that there are people who are down with [COVID-19] in Belarus. We have not closed the country, we have not stopped production pocesses. At Easter, our people went to church, and so did I. How can I bar anyone from attending cemeteries and paying the tribute to the fathers’ memory on All Souls’ Day? I can only recommend and ask you to be careful,” the presidential press service quotes him on Telegram.
At the same time, Alyaksandr Lykashenka urged Belarusians to look ahead.
“We should think about what will happen to us after this pandemic ends,” the Belarusian leader said.
He explained why he decided not to bring the economy to stop:
“Let’s imagine that we have paused the economy, paused everything. The one who prints dollars and has the resources will be the first to get back up and running. And where will the rest be? That is why I took a decision not to put the economy on hold. Businesses should work,” Lukashenka added.
As of April 26, there were 10,463 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Belarus; 72 patients have died.
