When the pandemic struck, Lukashenko had dismissed concern over the coronavirus as “psychosis” and refused to impose any restrictions. “Clinics and hospitals in all regions of the country have been overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients and suffered shortages of oxygen and medicines,” he wrote on Facebook. He described it as “madness” amid soaring contagion, and warned that “officials will bear responsibility for that before law and the Belarusian people in the near future.” Nikita Solovei, a leading Belarusian infectious disease expert in the capital, Minsk, sharply criticized the decision to abolish mask mandates. Many have criticized the official figures as an undercount.ĭr. On Thursday, the country officially reported 2,097 new confirmed infections, the highest number so far. Belarusians had been required to wear medical masks in all indoor public areas, including public transport and stores. The mask mandates were introduced on Oct. “It's just over the top to send police to track down those who aren't wearing masks,” Lukashenko said. The decision came after Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed the measures as unnecessary during a meeting with officials earlier this week. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Belarusian authorities on Friday horrified doctors by abolishing mask mandates, less than two weeks after their introduction for the first time during the pandemic and a day after the country registered a record number of new coronavirus infections.
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