Belarus suspends routine medical care to focus on COVID-19

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus has ordered a halt to routine medical care at state clinics in order to devote more resources to coronavirus patients. The Health Ministry said Monday the suspended services include medical examinations and screenings, physiotherapy and dentistry. Belarus has been hit by a rising wave of coronavirus infections. Around 2,000 new cases are reported daily in the country of 9.3 million. Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has often brushed off concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. He once said that infections could be treated with “a tractor, a bath and vodka.” Only about 20% of the population have been fully vaccinated. Belarus has registered about 574,000 infections or about 6% of the population and 4,417 deaths during the pandemic.