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"Authorities Hide Real Number Of Coronavirus Cases For Two Reasons"

"Authorities Hide Real Number Of Coronavirus Cases For Two Reasons"
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

If Lukashenka does not come to his senses right now, the consequences will be very serious.

On March 13, Ministry of Health of Belarus held a press conference on coronavirus, during which it was stated, among other things, that schools and kindergartens would not be subject to quarantine.

"Children do not get coronavirus, and if they do, they carry it virtually asymptomatically. It's not reasonable to take these measures to date, so we will not take them," - the agency representative said.

"Arguments" of the Ministry of Health are surprising, at best, against the background of unprecedented security measures taken by European countries, including the neighbors of Belarus.

How adequate are the actions and statements of the Belarusian authorities in the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, officially declared by the WHO?

Famous Belarusian blogger and activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Voynich answers the questions of Charter97.org.

- What was your reaction when a representative of the national Ministry of Health said at an official press conference: "Children do not get coronavirus"? After all, there have been cases of children getting the virus in the world. Besides, they may be carriers of the virus dangerous for their parents and grandfathers...

- My reaction was negative. I'm sure the authorities are hiding the real number of people getting sick for two reasons.

Firstly, there is probably no such number of express tests, if they have any at all, and secondly, the tests they have take a very long time to complete and perhaps there is a very long queue waiting. So they can't know for sure how many people are infected in the country.

I think that the authorities are hiding the number of people who are definitely infected, maybe of those who are really sick, as well as of those who actually died. Accordingly, not closing schools to quarantine was the most foolish thing to do. Thus, the authorities are afraid to cause panic, but they risk the lives of our children and everyone else. The children are in contact with their parents. They go to work and schools, take the metro and so on. The likelihood of further coronavirus spread is very high.

- Schools, kindergartens and universities have been closed for quarantine in almost all European countries. So, we're "smarter than everyone else" again?

- No, they're not trying to be "smarter than everyone else". For a long time, almost all of the reign, Lukashenka has been showing off: they say that we have "an island of stability, everything is good, we are the best".

I think that even here he tries to "play trump card" with his cheap showing off in front of the world: "Look, you all get sick, but we do not get sick". Maybe, for the sake of such props, he'll leave it too late. If there is a serious epidemic, given the lack of experience, specialists (those who have long gone abroad), he just will not be able to do anything in the end.

- What consequences might arise from the persistent unwillingness of the Belarusian authorities to notice the danger and introduce quarantine in the country?

- The consequences may be the most unfortunate, because the epidemic is a terrible thing. Fortunately, our generation and the older one do not remember the real epidemics, but they were and are studied even in schools.

If, God forbid, Lukashenka does not come to his senses now, the consequences will be very sad and deplorable. With a large number of ill people, there is a possibility of stopping enterprises, losing a huge number of lives. All spheres may be paralyzed if he does not take important decisive steps to prevent the epidemic now.

- Fearing for his health, Lukashenka canceled the "big talk" with journalists. Head of the Interior Ministry Karayeu spent two weeks in quarantine... Are the children of millions of common Belarusians worse? How would you comment on such double standards of the authorities?

- Children of other Belarusians are no more than the future taxpayers for Lukashenka. The authorities live for the day. At the moment, Lukashenka is more interested in people who provide something for him at this stage. Protection, for example, or money, other goods, the same flattery. For him, the children of Belarusians are far beyond the horizon. He lives with his world, and these are not his children.

And those closer to him - they get quarantined and, perhaps, some advanced treatment technologies. First, we should not forget that they initially have other medical facilities, not those for common people. That is, Karayeu has medical facilities for the Interior Ministry, and besides that, he is a high-ranking official, so everything goes the other way there. Everything is separate for Lukashenka and the so-called "parliamentarians". For them, children and all other citizens are just an appendix that plays its role at the right time.

- The Ministry of Health has admitted that a Belarusian, hiding a visit to Italy, could infect up to 100 people with coronavirus. However, Lukashenka constantly says that "there's no reason to panic" and "everything is under control". Why do they want people to lose touch with reality?

- That's showing off, to boast that our country is doing well even in this regard. We're like North Korea that has showcase cities, clinics, subways. Here, Lukashenka has an occasion to boast as well: look at our excellent health, we are not ill and nothing will happen to us.

Maybe it's for the sake of getting the next donations, asking for money from someone, sending other people here for treatment. There was information that Switzerland wants to reschedule the World Hockey Championship, maybe he wants to catch hold of it because he is a fan of hockey. In order to host such an event, he can sacrifice his citizens and information about what is really going on in our country.

- The Ministry of Health said at a press conference that it does not prohibit concerts and mass festivities, but only recommends the organizers that the distance between people should be at least one meter. Why are the Belarusian authorities clinging till the last to the opportunity of holding a "feast at a time of plague"?

- Because it's such a Soviet tradition. A feast on bones. They will wave their flags to the last, showing to the last everything wonderful, even when people walk with empty plates to the residence.

- How adequate are the actions of the Belarusian authorities in general in the conditions of the global coronavirus pandemic?

- In general, they are inadequate. To date, Lukashenka had to take a whole lot of different measures, a whole complex to prevent further spread of coronavirus within the country. Preventive measures should have been taken with the same children, with the same employees of public and private enterprises.

I know that my child was not offered vitamins in school, as it was in some European countries. Neither did I get any calls from the polyclinic, nor were I offered to undergo any check-ups, tests and so on. This is a crazy person who behaves inadequately in this situation.

Whatever happens, Lukashenka will try to monetize the coronavirus problem. Perhaps, if we have a real epidemic in our country, he will try to beg for money in the UN or the European Union to fight it. The second point is that he may plead for sympathy with the epidemic. Again, the election is coming up. He may want to hold this election before August, which is not right.

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