“As I said, 97% of our people go through this disease with no symptoms and thank God I managed to get into this group of asymptomatic people,” added Lukashenko, citing an unsubstantiated statistic.
Lukashenko added that he had “survived this virus”.
The strongmen leader notoriously dismissed the coronavirus as massive “psychosis” and recommended that citizens enjoy a traditional sauna or drink vodka “to poison the virus.” It has been widely criticized for refusing to impose strict coronavirus restrictions during the pandemic.
Lukashenko, who has ruled since 1994, has not limited his public appearances during the pandemic and followed up with an annual military parade in May. He also continued to meet government meetings in person and play hockey throughout the pandemic.
“It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees,” he said, on a rink with the entire hockey team, in an interview with state television in late March.
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