In stark contrast to other European countries, Belarus has not adopted strict lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The country's borders have remained open, factories, shops, and restaurants conduct business as usual, and spectators are permitted to attend sports events. On April 21, a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Belarusian officials to introduce physical-distancing measures.
Listen To WHO? Life Carries On As 'Normal' In Belarus Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
- By RFE/RL
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Communist Party supporters in Minsk lay flowers at a monument to Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union, to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth on April 22.
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Some people wear face masks while traveling on public transport in Minsk. The WHO said the number of reported coronavirus cases in Belarus was "growing rapidly," with 6,723 cases and 55 deaths reported by the authorities as of April 21. But some Belarusian doctors believe the actual numbers could be four to five times higher.
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People in Minsk walk past a sign depicting the coronavirus, saying "We will win."
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Women walk in downtown Minsk on April 20.
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Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his younger son, Nikolai, visit a church during Orthodox Easter on April 19. Lukashenka has derided global concerns over COVID-19 as "mass psychosis" and said that there was no need for strict measures to slow the spread of the virus.
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An all-night Easter vigil is held in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on April 19.
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A soccer match between Vitebsk and Brest Dinamo is played on April 18. Belarus is the only country in Europe still playing soccer amid the pandemic but a growing number of fans are boycotting league matches, anxious about catching the disease.
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Fans without face masks cheer on the home team at the Vitebsk soccer stadium on April 18.
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Parishioners with their "paskha" cakes, eggs, and other food gather at a church in Minsk on the eve of Orthodox Easter on April 18.
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Belarusian fighters Yevgeniy Fedorinchik takes on Dmitry Filippov during the Belarusian Fight Championship at Prime Hall in Minsk on April 17.
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A Belarusian honor guard rehearses on April 16 for the Victory Day parade in Minsk. Amid the pandemic, the army continues to prepare for the May 9 event to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
