Holiday of spring, labor and pandemic

Belarus continues to amaze. You can have different attitudes towards what is happening in the republic now. One can consider the “author’s recipes” from Lukashenko, who proposed treating coronavirus with vodka, a tractor and a bath, although unsuccessful and unethical, but jokes. You can believe in conspiracy theories and believe that the virus is no more dangerous than the flu, and that everything that is happening is a deliberately provoked global hysteria. One might think that it is now more important to support the economy, and as a result of quarantine, people “will have nothing to eat.” All these examples are controversial. Yes, life shows their inconsistency and, no matter what Lukashenko says and no matter how dark the Belarusian Ministry of Health is with the data, the situation with COVID-19 in per capita terms in the republic is now the worst among neighboring countries.

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But the decision of the Belarusian government to hold a nationwide cleanup day on May 25 is no longer controversial, but criminal. Subbotnik in Belarus is exactly the phenomenon that older people remember from Soviet times. The only difference is that it ceased to be Leninist and communist. The same holiday of voluntary-compulsory unskilled free labor for the benefit of the state. Despite all the declared voluntariness, it can be difficult for a public sector employee or public sector employee (and the state in Belarus remains the main employer) to avoid participation.

There are no clear arguments in favor of putting millions of people on the streets at a time when the peak of the epidemic has not yet passed, and hundreds of people are getting sick every day, and the number of infected people is growing exponentially. The economic effect of the cleanup is minimal. The work being carried out on it is not urgent and can easily be implemented through the efforts of public utilities. At the same time, the collective physical work of a large number of people creates a huge risk of an avalanche-like increase in morbidity. Are swept squares and painted fences really worth risking people's health and lives?

Yesterday, 4779 cases of coronavirus infection were registered in Belarus. Today, the Ministry of Health did not provide exact data, but it is obvious that their number has already exceeded 5 thousand. 45 people have already died. For a republic with a population of 9,4 million people, this is a lot. If current dynamics continue, by April 25 there will be at least 10 thousand patients. Having worked for the good of the state, and many, according to tradition, and celebrating this matter in the company and with strong drinks, the participants of the cleanup work will make a serious contribution to the growth of this figure. Unfortunately, it is likely that some of them will eventually die.

The Belarusian Criminal Code has Article 336 “Violation of sanitary-epidemiological, hygienic requirements and procedures established by technical regulations, sanitary norms and rules, hygienic standards.” If such a violation results in the death of citizens, the perpetrator can receive up to 7 years in prison. Of course, those who organize this subbotnik do not expect to ever find themselves in the dock, but it is still worth remembering that any power is not eternal, and it may happen that you still have to answer.

Now there is still a chance to avoid this madness. Formally, the decision to hold a subbotnik was made by the prime minister, and one of his deputies was appointed responsible for this. Lukashenko has not yet said his word. It is quite possible that officials, simply not thinking about the consequences and fearing to incur the highest wrath, rewrote the standard document that is adopted every year. And now, after public opinion begins to boil, Alexander Grigorievich will say another sparkling phrase about psychosis, and the subbotnik will be cancelled. But, given that he loves subbotniks and doesn’t believe in coronavirus, the likelihood of this happening is small.