President Lukashenko of Belarus says that other countries’ tactics have failed

As leaders across the world act to prevent the spread of coronavirus with lockdowns and quarantine, President Lukashenko of Belarus is suggesting alternatives that are not so much ineffective as completely irrelevant: vodka, saunas and ice hockey.

The former collective farm manager who has ruled with an iron fist since 1994 has refused to introduce strict measures to halt the spread of the virus.

He describes concerns about the pandemic as “coronavirus psychosis” — and warns that a shutdown could ruin the economy. Factories continue to work, kindergartens, restaurants and universities are open and the Belarusian football league, with spectators, is the only one still playing in Europe.

Officially Belarus has reported under 2,000 cases of the virus and only 19 deaths. But there is