© Sputnik / Виктор Толочко
Western media and opposition activists predicted a massive spike in coronavirus infections in Belarus earlier this month after thousands of soldiers and spectators gathered in Minsk to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Instead, the number of cases has stabilized, and fatality rates remain incredibly low.
Nearly three weeks after Victory Day on May 9, and more than a month after Orthodox Easter celebrations and Belarus's annual large-scale 'community labour' day events on April 19 and 25, the republic's sanitary inspection agency is
predicting a gradual decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases after reaching a plateau.
Belarus has become somewhat of an oddity over its decision to defy the European consensus of instituting lockdowns to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus,
joined only by Sweden in refusing to implement strict restrictions.
In Belarus, factories and farms, schools, shops, restaurants and other public amenities have remained open all this time, and authorities have urged (but not forced) the public to take individual precautionary measures such as social distancing and the wearing of medical masks in public places.Western observers have
scolded Minsk over its decision not to cancel mass events, warning that the festivities would soon cause an inevitable massive spike in infection rates.
Comment: It's little wonder that the violence currently happening in Minneapolis would spread to other cities. Thankfully, Dallas seems to have been mostly spared, for now, with only a few bad apples attempting to spoil an otherwise peaceful protest.
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