Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: We make enough vaccines to keep COVID-19 at bay for a while

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SHKLOV DISTRICT, 19 April (BelTA) – The situation with the COVID-19 in Belarus is manageable and the caseloads are even lower than expected, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said answering journalists’ questions during the nationwide subbotnik [voluntary labor day] on 17 April, BelTA has learned.

“We waited, talked about it, we anticipated a new, third, wave. We were waiting for a bigger wave, though. I think Pinevich [healthcare minister] has already said that we expected a 1.5 higher increase in cases,” the head of state noted.

“We produce enough vaccines to keep people safe at least for a while, for six or eight months. We do not know how long the vaccine-induced protection will last. It is for sure that it works and protects people for a certain period,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle and an adequate level of physical activity taking into account that such viruses may re-emerge in the future. “A virus triggers chronic diseases, including diseases that we sometimes do not see. Viruses will not go away, I don’t know what kind of viruses we will get in the future, therefore we need to take a better care of ourselves and our lives. Work more, eat adequately. I have said many times that we need to eat our own food, grown on our land, and not some kind of overseas foodstuffs. In other words, people need to reconsider their lifestyles,” the president noted.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that he has no plans to get vaccinated yet, considering that a recent blood test showed a sufficient amount of antibodies after he recovered from COVID-19. The head of state added that he had never been vaccinated against influenza before, either.

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