COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus

Insulated stretcher for transporting COVID-19 patients near the Regional Hospital for Clinical Infectious Diseases in Vitebsk

The COVID-19 pandemic occurs in Belarus since the end of February 2020 as part of the global COVID-19 pandemic , which took place in December 2019 in China originated. The COVID-19 pandemic affects the novel disease COVID-19 . This is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Coronaviridae group and belongs to the group of respiratory diseases . On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a global pandemic .

course

On February 28, Belarus confirmed the first COVID-19 case in the country. The day before, a student from Iran tested positive and was taken to the hospital in Minsk . The person who tested positive had already entered Belarus on a flight from Baku , Azerbaijan , on February 22nd . According to the Ministry of Health, the number of infected people rose to 36 by March 16, 2020. As of March 18, a total of 51 cases had been confirmed. According to official bodies, there were around 150 infected people at the end of March. At the same time, human rights activists said that hospitals were full of people with pneumonia .

A WHO mission arrived in Belarus on April 7th to assess the situation on the ground. The WHO recommended strengthening spatial distancing measures : banning mass events, including sports tournaments, switching to distance learning, quarantine for the infected and restricting the movement of citizens, especially those at risk - the elderly and people with chronic diseases. Within the next two weeks, the number of infected people increased tenfold from 700 (April 6) to 7,281 (April 22), so that the WHO again advised stronger measures. By April 30, the number of infected people had doubled to 14,027 and the number of deaths was 89.

Schools, universities, shops, restaurants and airports remained open at the beginning of May 2020, football games and church services continued to take place (see also the section on criticism ). This was justified by the fact that the country could not economically cope with a lockdown . At the same time, the Russian Orthodox Exarch of Belarus recommended following the corona measures of the Russian patriarch and carrying out liturgies without believers on site. Since many clergymen and theology students had also been infected, he called for the advice of the experts to be implemented. Despite increased private initiatives to protect against the spread, such as the production of protective clothing for medical staff, and the reduction in Labor Day events , mass events such as a nationwide Subbotnik took place at the end of April (2.5 million participants) or the several kilometers long military parade on the Victory Day will be held on May 9, 2020. Aljaksandr Lukashenka justified this with the fact that the impression should not be created that one is cowardly and hiding.

In mid-May, the first soccer games had to be postponed because there were suspected cases at the first division club FK Minsk and the second division club Lokomotiv Gomel. Various measures were arranged for the spectators of the games, including temperature measurements at the entrances and the distribution of seats in a chessboard pattern. By May 17, 2020, the total number of infected (29,650) and deaths (165) had almost doubled compared to April 30.

statistics

The number of cases developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus as follows:

Infections

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Belarus
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Belarus over the course of a week
according to WHO data

New infections in Belarus
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

New infections (per calendar week) in Belarus
according to WHO data

Deaths

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Belarus
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Belarus over the course of the week
according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (daily) in Belarus
according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (per calendar week) in Belarus
according to WHO data

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Since August 17, 2020, the WHO reports have only been published weekly, but contain additional information (about cases per million inhabitants). The last daily WHO report ( No. 209 , pdf) was published on August 16, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} This lists cases that have been reported to WHO by national authorities. Since the situation is very dynamic, there may be discrepancies or delays between the cases of the WHO and the data of national authorities as well as the information provided by other bodies, such as the Johns Hopkins University (CSSE).

Policy measures

Information on COVID-19 and hygiene measures in the National Library of Belarus in Minsk

In March, President Aljaksandr Lukashenka played down and belittled the pandemic several times, including calling it a corona psychosis and jokingly recommending vodka, saunas and agricultural work to prevent the virus from spreading.

Restrictions on meetings and events

On March 12th, the Council of Ministers decided to ban all cultural, sporting and scientific events with international participation until April 6th.

On April 4, the Belarus Ministry of Education announced a one-week extension of the spring break for schools and on April 10, another one-week extension.

The following measures were adopted on April 7th:

• People with symptoms of respiratory infections are not allowed to go to work.
• Meetings, workshops and meetings are to be held using video and audio conferences, no business trips.
• Public events in libraries, museums, galleries and other cultural institutions are prohibited.
• Parents are allowed to keep their children away from kindergartens or schools.
• A minimum distance of 1.5 meters should be maintained in public spaces.

Extension of the visa-free stay

The Ministry of the Interior announced on March 18 that it would extend the visa-free stay for foreigners who cannot leave the country because of the canceled flights by up to 90 days.

Self-isolation

On March 25, the Council of Ministers decided that people entering from countries affected by COVID-19 must go into domestic self-isolation for 14 days . Departure is not permitted until self-isolation has expired. Drivers who drive through Belarus in road or transit traffic are only allowed to use certain highways, parking lots and petrol stations.

The government passed additional rules on self-isolation on April 10. Accordingly, all persons with a confirmed COVID-19 infection as well as first and second level contact persons are subject to self-isolation. Violations of these rules will be punished administratively or, if necessary, criminally.

Export bans

On March 17, export bans on certain medical goods, such as protective equipment and ventilators, were temporarily introduced. On April 1, 2020, an export ban on buckwheat, onions and garlic was introduced.

Economic impact

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic is, according to the World Bank , the GDP in Belarus fall by four percent, partly because of the export of Belarus in the EU and to Russia is significant decline. Shops and schools in Belarus remained open during the pandemic.

On March 30, 2020, the Central Bank of Belarus applied to the IMF for a $ 900 million loan due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In April 2020, Finance Minister Maxim Yermolovich announced that Belarus would receive an aid loan of US $ 500 to 900 million from the International Monetary Fund . According to Yermolovich, spending will be cut. On June 19, 2020, Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed that the International Monetary Fund required Belarus to impose lockdown measures as a condition for the loans , but that the condition would not be met.

criticism

The government has been heavily criticized in the media in other countries for its actions, as kindergartens, schools, universities, shops, restaurants and cafes remained open. As the only country in Europe, sporting events such as football or ice hockey continue to take place regularly and with spectators. The Belarusian soccer star Aljaksandr Hleb also pointed out the paradoxical situation: “In our country, the presidential bureaucracy believes that it's not that bad.” However, when it came to soccer it was observed that the number of spectators was significantly reduced. A club from Brest tested the fans for possible fever. The coach of FK Vitebsk said: “If we don't have any infected players, we can play. If some players get infected, we can stop. ”Mass events such as a large military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Hitler fascism on May 9, 2020, an important holiday in the country, continued to take place. Even Russia's most important ally has criticized this. According to estimates by independent media, more than 200,000 people took part in the streets in Minsk on August 23 to demand Lukashenko's resignation. Most of them neither wore protective masks nor kept a minimum distance.

See also

• List of epidemics and pandemics
• List of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic

Web links

Commons : COVID-19 Pandemic in Belarus  - Pictures, Videos and Audio Files Collection

• Information on the situation in Belarus during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Belarusian Ministry of Health (Russian)
• Information on COVID-19 at the Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health (Belarusian, Russian, English)
• World Health Organization (WHO): Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports on the website www.who.int (English)
• Johns Hopkins CSSE : Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases. (English)
• Website World of Meters : real-time data of the Corona virus pandemic (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Covid-19: Causes. Pulmonologists online, 2020, accessed April 14, 2020 . 
2. ^ "Deeply concerned" - WHO speaks of corona pandemic. In: Tagesschau. ARD, March 11, 2020, accessed on April 14, 2020 . 
3. ↑ У Беларусі зарэгістраваны завазны выпадак каронавіруса. Belarusian Ministry of Health (МІНІСТЭРСТВА АХОВЫ ЗДАРОЎЯ РЭСПУБЛІКІ БЕЛАРУСЬ), 2020, accessed April 14, 2020 (Belarusian). 
4. ↑ Belarus announces first case of coronavirus: TASS. Reuters , February 28, 2020, accessed April 1, 2020 . 
5. ↑ Four Lawmakers In Iran Test Positive As Coronavirus Forces Cancellation Of Friday Prayers. Radio Free Europe , February 28, 2020, accessed April 1, 2020 . 
6. ↑ Belarus registers 36 coronavirus cases, health ministry says. TASS , March 16, 2020, accessed April 1, 2020 . 
7. ↑ В Беларуси зафиксирован 51 случай коронавируса, пятеро пациентов уже здоровы. Tut.by, March 18, 2020, accessed April 1, 2020 (Belarusian). 
8. ↑ ^{a b c} Johannes Aumüller: Vodka against the virus . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , March 30, 2020. Accessed April 3, 2020.
9. ↑ ^{a b c d} Coronavirus: Situation in Belarus - Current situation and information updates. Austrian Chamber of Commerce , April 14, 2020, accessed on April 20, 2020 . 
10. ↑ WHO expert mission to Belarus recommends physical distancing measures as COVID-19 virus transmits in the community. WHO, April 21, 2020, accessed May 3, 2020 . 
11. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. WHO, accessed May 3, 2020 . 
12. ↑ ^{a b c} André Ballin: Coronavirus now threatens Lukashenko's power in Belarus. Der Standard , May 1, 2020, accessed May 19, 2020 . 
13. ↑ Matthias Koch: Brazil, Nicaragua, Belarus: Three virus contemptors remain tough. RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland , April 30, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
14. ↑ Belarus: Exarch urges compliance with the anti-corona rule. Vatican News , May 2, 2020, accessed May 19, 2020 . 
15. ↑ Kerstin Holm: Belarus and the pandemic. An autocrat is blind. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 6, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
16. ↑ Maxim Kireev: Belarus and Corona - the state reacts carelessly, citizens protect themselves. Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk , April 30, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
17. ^ ^{A b} Martha Wilczynski & Demian von Osten: Belarus' Sonderweg. Military parade in Minsk - despite Corona. In: tagesschau.de . ARD , May 9, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
18. ↑ Veronika Prokhorova: Corona is hushed up in Belarus - now young activists are fighting back. bento , May 15, 2020, accessed May 19, 2020 . 
19. ↑ Veronika Prokhorova: SPREAD OF CORONA: Virus reaches Belarusian football. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , May 12, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
20. ↑ ^{a b c d} As of August 16, 2020, the daily announcement of the figures was changed to a weekly rhythm. The numbers of the first weekly report ( August 17, 2020 , pdf) are identical to those of the WHO report No. 209 (August 16, 2020, pdf) and are also based on the status of August 16, 2020 at 10 a.m. after the report itself is shown . They can therefore be continued seamlessly from the second weekly report ( August 24, 2020 , pdf), as this was announced accordingly at 10 a.m. on August 23, 2020. In order not to make this too confusing, the date of the publication (August 24th) is not used here for the database (August 23rd).
21. ↑ Andreas Schmid: Despite the Europe-wide Corona crisis: A country does almost nothing - President says: "There is no virus here". Münchner Merkur , May 18, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
22. ↑ Coronavirus: In Belarus, internationally attended mass events are canceled until April 6th. BelTA , March 13, 2020, accessed April 20, 2020 . 
23. ↑ Весенние каникулы у школьников будут продлены на одну неделю - до 13 апреля. Tut.by, April 4, 2020, accessed April 20, 2020 (Belarusian). 
24. ↑ Школьные каникулы продлили еще на неделю - до 20 апреля. Tut.by, April 10, 2020, accessed April 20, 2020 (Belarusian). 
25. ↑ In Belarus the residence period of foreigners is extended. AHK Belarus , March 18, 2020, accessed on April 20, 2020 . 
26. ↑ ^{a b} Measures against coronavirus in the Republic of Belarus. Belarusian Embassy in Berlin , April 3, 2020, accessed on April 20, 2020 . 
27. ↑ In Belarus the rules for self-isolation have been adopted. AHK Belarus , April 10, 2020, accessed on April 20, 2020 . 
28. ↑ Lukashenko agrees to exports of protective masks after the domestic market is saturated. BelTA , April 21, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 . 
29. ↑ ^{a b} Pandemic: Belarusian President calls Corona "psychosis" - and spreads conspiracy theories. Retrieved August 20, 2020 . 
30. ↑ Belarus central bank to seek $ 900 mln in IMF funding amid global crisis . In: Reuters . March 30, 2020 ( reuters.com [accessed August 20, 2020]).
31. ↑ ^{a b} Belarus due to receive $ 500-900 million from IMF . In: Reuters . April 16, 2020 ( reuters.com [accessed August 20, 2020]).
32. ↑ Police break up new protests in Belarus as Lukashenko warns of foreign plot . In: Reuters . June 19, 2020 ( reuters.com [accessed August 20, 2020]).
33. ↑ Markus Ackeret: Belarus President Lukashenko considers the coronavirus pandemic to be a psychosis. Neue Zürcher Zeitung , March 30, 2020, accessed on April 3, 2020 . 
34. ↑ The new season begins as if nothing happened. Hleb about Corona in Belarus: "Nobody cares". Kicker , March 23, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
35. ↑ President denies corona risk. Belarus holds military parade despite crisis. n-tv , May 9, 2020, accessed on May 19, 2020 . 
36. ↑ Kremlin sees anti-Russian tendencies in Belarus at the coordination council Fatherland , August 24, 2020