Belarus Lockdown Status: What You Need To Know

Belarus is one of the few countries that did not impose a lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, refused to implement mass quarantine or lockdown measures, calling fears over the virus a psychosis. Instead, he suggested unconventional methods for preventing infection, such as drinking vodka and visiting saunas. Despite facing criticism and calls for stricter measures from the World Organisation, Belarus maintained its stance on lockdowns, prioritising economic activity and everyday life.

Belarus President Lukashenko refused to lockdown the country

Belarus has never been under lockdown, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, President Aleksandr Lukashenko refused to implement a lockdown in the country, instead claiming that vodka and saunas could help beat the virus. Lukashenko wanted life to continue as normal, and even participated in an ice hockey tournament while hundreds packed football stadiums. He criticised travel bans and border barriers implemented by neighbouring countries, stating that "it's better to die standing than to live on your knees".

Lukashenko's refusal to lockdown the country was met with criticism, with some calling it "irresponsible and careless". While people entering sports stadiums were given antiseptic hand gel and had their temperatures monitored, masks were rarely worn and were considered unnecessary for open-air events. As leagues and sporting events worldwide were cancelled or postponed, Belarus' events gained traction online, with many people betting on the teams.

Lukashenko has been ruling Belarus since 1994 and has been dubbed "Europe's last dictator". In the lead-up to the January 2024 election, where Lukashenko is seeking a seventh term, he has intensified his crackdown on dissent, targeting individuals active in online chat groups and those expressing solidarity with Ukraine. Human rights activists reported that at least 1,671 Belarusians have been detained for their anti-war stance or for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, with at least 200 given prison sentences ranging from one to 25 years.

Lukashenko's authoritarian rule has resulted in the imprisonment or exile of major opposition leaders, with approximately 1,300 political prisoners currently being held in Belarusian detention centres. The crackdown has escalated, with hundreds arrested in raids targeting relatives and friends of political prisoners. Despite this, Lukashenko has pardoned some political prisoners, signalling a potential openness to dialogue with the US and the EU, which have imposed sanctions due to his repressive regime.

Lukashenko claimed vodka and saunas could prevent coronavirus

Belarus has not gone into lockdown, despite most other countries in the world imposing restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Instead, President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that vodka and saunas could prevent coronavirus. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has refused to impose any restrictions or lockdowns, allowing football matches and other sporting events to continue as normal.

In a speech, Lukashenko said:

> There shouldn't be any panic. You just have to work, especially now, in a village. Tractors will cure everyone. The field heals everyone. Go to the banya (a Russian-style sauna). Two or three times a week will do you good. When you come out of the sauna, not only wash your hands, but also your insides with 100 millilitres (of vodka).

He also boasted that no one would die from the coronavirus in Belarus, saying: "It is my firm belief, judging by analysis not only of previous years."

Lukashenko has been criticised for his response to the pandemic, with some accusing him of endangering the population and helping to spread fake news. Despite his claims, Belarus has recorded 67,366 confirmed coronavirus infections and 543 deaths as of July 2020.

Belarus' COVID mortality rates were similar to countries with lockdowns

Belarus did not impose a lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, refused to do so, claiming that saunas and vodka could prevent coronavirus. Despite this, Belarus's COVID mortality rates were similar to those of countries with lockdowns.

At the start of the pandemic, the country of Belarus refused to put its citizens under lockdown. This decision caused an uproar in the global media, with one headline declaring that the country's leader was "hell-bent on turning COVID-19 into a catastrophe". However, the outcome of Belarus's no-lockdown policy was far from disastrous. Newly released overall death statistics from the pandemic's beginning until March 2021 show that Belarus's mortality rate was comparable to that of neighbouring countries with full lockdowns, such as Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine. Moreover, when compared to Poland, which had a particularly harsh lockdown, Belarus's mortality rate in March 2021 was significantly lower.

The situation in Belarus is similar to that of Sweden, which also refused to impose a lockdown and suffered fewer than 15,000 COVID deaths. Figures from various countries show that cases and deaths tend to fall in waves, regardless of whether a lockdown is implemented, indicating that lockdowns may be ineffective. Will Jones, a writer, notes that Belarus, along with places like South Dakota, Florida, Sweden, and Tanzania, demonstrates that COVID-19's outcome is generally the same with or without restrictions. He further adds that the epidemic is self-limiting and ends at a similar point in terms of infection numbers, even without lockdowns and vaccines.

Despite these observations, mainstream media outlets often credit repeated lockdowns as the reason for ending each wave of COVID. However, the experience of countries like Belarus challenges this narrative, highlighting the need for leaders and advisers to understand the self-limiting nature of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Belarus has not imposed lockdown measures or social distancing rules

Despite the lack of lockdown measures, Belarus has reported COVID mortality rates similar to neighbouring countries that did impose lockdowns. The country's overall death statistics from the start of the pandemic up to March 2021 show that the death rate is comparable to countries such as Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine, which had full lockdowns in place. Belarus's mortality rate was even significantly lower than Poland, which had a particularly harsh lockdown.

The decision to forgo lockdown measures in Belarus has been criticised by some as irresponsible and careless, especially considering the potential for the virus to spread uncontrollably. However, others argue that the outcome of Belarus's no-lockdown policy is far from a "catastrophe" and that cases and deaths tend to fall in waves, whether a lockdown is imposed or not.

The World Organisation has called on Belarus to introduce tougher measures to fight the coronavirus, expressing concern about the country's decision to hold large gatherings such as the Victory Day parade, which marked the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Lukashenko called fears over the coronavirus a psychosis

Belarus has not imposed lockdown measures or social distancing rules, and kept its borders open while countries around the world have closed them. The country's long-serving President, Alexander Lukashenko, has refused to lock down the country, instead suggesting that vodka and saunas can help beat the virus. Lukashenko has called fears over the coronavirus a "psychosis", urging people to fight off the illness by working in the fields and playing ice hockey. He has also criticised travel bans and border barriers by neighbouring countries as "utter stupidity".

In a speech, Lukashenko said:

> "There shouldn't be any panic. You just have to work, especially now, in a village. Tractors will cure everyone. The field heals everyone. Go to the banya (a Russian-style sauna). Two or three times a week will do you good. When you come out of the sauna, not only wash your hands, but also your insides with 100 millilitres (of vodka)."

Public frustration over Lukashenko's handling of the pandemic has fuelled the biggest protests in years against his rule. Residents of the capital, Minsk, were divided over the lack of containment orders. Some enjoyed the freedom to continue life as normal, while others expressed fear and called for stricter measures.

Lukashenko's insistence on going ahead with mass gatherings, such as football matches and military parades, has been seen as a demonstration of strength and determination, but also as an act of one-upmanship against Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom ties have been strained. Lukashenko's comments and actions have been deemed irresponsible and careless, with the World Health Organization calling on Belarus to introduce tougher measures to fight the coronavirus.

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