Collective Farm Disinfectors

Just don't believe the official figures and advice.

I visited the Health Ministry website last night. I see the section "The situation with COVID-19 in Belarus" on the main page. I open it and there is a press release from March 3. There is information about three cases of coronavirus infection in the country.

It was March 12th. The country has officially confirmed 21 cases of the disease, nine of them were confirmed within a day. That is, the number of infected per day has almost doubled, but the Ministry of Health does not update the press release of 3 March. Neighboring Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania have introduced quarantine, while the Ministry of Health still calls only four countries dangerous for visitors - China, Iran, South Korea and Italy. France cancels local elections, Spain cancels the local football championship, Canada cancels the world championship in figure skating, Europe is considering the postponement of Euro 2020, and last Sunday we had a women's Beauty Run involving five thousand people. Universities, schools and kindergartens are closing down in neighbouring countries. Our officials say that there is no need for that, as no children have died from coronavirus yet.

Do not think that I visited the website of the Ministry of Health to search for information. I was driven by ornithological interest only. I wanted to observe the activities of God's birds, who know neither care nor work. I had my interest satisfied in full: there was no surprise. However, even if the Ministry of Health promptly updated the information every hour, like similar agencies in Europe, no one would believe their figures. Just because we know that officials of all ranks always lie to us about everything. About Belarusian prosperity, salaries of "$500", conspiracies to seize power, the modest working life of Drazdy inhabitants, infinite trust of the people, 86% of those who voted for the ruler. We have been served lies for many years and they want us to believe that there are only 21 cases of coronavirus infection in Belarus? No, we won't believe it. They're lying, as always. This is the only way they can act. It's their physiological necessity. Against their background, even jungle telegraph looks like an authoritative source.

Apart from the pathological propensity for lies, they are as greedy as Robin Bobin Barabek. If they cancel mass events, introduce quarantine like our neighbours, how much money will not go to the budget! Indeed, in this situation, business shrinks and the treasury as a result. But in other countries, the state allocates reserves, because human health comes first: healthy citizens after quarantine will continue to work, and the treatment of hundreds and thousands of sick will take much more public money. But this is not our story. Do you want to do this not knowing what tomorrow brings? What if a revolution starts after the epidemic? No, let them work, pay taxes and VAT, give them bribes. It's better. After all, elderly people usually die - that's nice. Pensioners have figured it all out. The state does not need them as potential voters and supporters. To throw them under a bus. Huge savings on pensions will arise.

Okay, it's done with greedy pants. But schoolchildren, students and kindergartens, from their point of view, completely useless creatures, they do not bring money. Why cannot they be at least sent on quarantine now when the world has officially declared a pandemic? It's very simple. They are scared to death to lose control over children and teenagers. If schoolchildren stay at home for a few weeks, without political information and the BRYU, who knows what they will do out of total control? What if they read the Charter? What if they start up underground organizations on the Internet? What if they start thinking and analyzing? It would be worse than a pandemic. Keep them under control!

Lies, greed and total control are the things that prevent the regime from a proper assessment of the situation and at least half-pace to preserve the life and health of Belarusians. It is a protective barrier the authorities intentionally use to fence off people to devour and shamelessly steal even against the background of a pandemic. Quarantine is a reasonable interaction between state and citizens all over the world: citizens, stay at home and do not bother us, please, to fight a dangerous virus, do not create additional problems, do not get in the way. But it works where the state and citizens live in the same country. In our country, a citizen should work till death even in life-threatening circumstances and be under constant ideological control. Otherwise, the power will not survive a single day.

By the way, many generations at school have taught that Pushkin wrote his "Belkin's Stories" and "Little Tragedies" in Boldino. It was an inspiring place. The poet got stuck in Boldino because of the cholera quarantine in Moscow. He just couldn't go back there for three months. He had to write in the middle of nowhere because there was nothing else to do. But he lived another seven years until he was shot dead. So quarantine is a blessing not only for the fight against the pandemic but also for creative work. Who knows how many literary masterpieces we will get when the coronavirus is defeated? I do hope many of them.

Just don't believe the official figures and advice. As always, we will save on our own. To exchange information, buy products not only for ourselves but for our neighbours, spare time we always lack to loved ones. And let a flight or a concert cancel be the greatest trouble for us. I think that's a toast. Well, we can afford it during a quarantine.

Iryna Khalip, especially for Charter97.org

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