As most people in Europe are confined to their homes, life goes on as usual in Belarus where even football is continuing -- though fears are growing over the leader's contentious response to COVID-19.
"When you read the news every day, it's shocking, but we don't have quarantine," said 45-year-old Minsk resident Anzhela.
"From Monday kids will go to school again and we'll keep living in fear."
"The number of infections is growing," said 62-year-old Yelena, sporting a homemade face mask made of gauze. "Masks won't save us, only self-isolation."
A pharmacist at the city's Pharmacy No. 3, Olga Orlova, said she gets deliveries of 200-300 masks every morning, but "they are gone by midday."