MINSK, Belarus — When Belarus' president last made a public appearance he wore protective gear, but it wasn't for the coronavirus. Alexander Lukashenko, who derides global concerns over COVID-19 as “mass psychosis,” donned a helmet and knee guards to play ice hockey — at a venue packed with spectators. I don’t see them either,” Lukashenko, an avid player of the sport, told a TV reporter while on the ice at the weekend event. Factories, stores and restaurants conduct business as usual, stands at sports events fill with spectators and masks are a rare sight on the streets of the capital, Minsk. Belarus is the only country in Europe still playing professional soccer games with fans in the stands.

Source: International New York Times April 02, 2020 16:18 UTC