Friday Files – March 20, 2020

A dog that won’t give up toilet paper, cheerful face masks, and more.

In Encinitas, California, disturbed by toilet paper hoarding during the coronavirus crisis, a man stood on a street corner and held up a homemade cardboard sign with a simple request: “Share your toilet paper.” He told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the response was immediate and positive, with drivers honking horns and dropping off rolls of toilet paper. Just as quickly, he handed them out to those in need. The man said he plans to be out on the corner again Sunday to “encourage people to be better” amid the global pandemic.

In Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko encouraged citizens to work in the countryside and drive tractors as a way to overcome the coronavirus epidemic. According to the AFP, the former collective farm director, who likes to emphasize his connection to the land and rural residents, told officials at a televised meeting that “there shouldn’t be any panic” over the virus. “You just have to work, especially now, in a village,” he said. “The tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone.”

Even this dog is hoarding toilet paper. If you can’t view this video, try https://youtu.be/ZKDRqAypT9E.


In Sofia, Bulgaria, the Angel Baby company has mad cheerful face masks to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. The masks are printed with owls, dinosaurs, llamas and monkeys and will soon find their way to hundreds of doctors and policemen who are struggling to get their hands on the protective gear. The AFP reports that the company is giving away the masks for free but warning users that they have not been medically certified, so must be washed daily and ironed at high temperatures. The company says the masks given to police and doctors are not intended for use by those in direct contact with coronavirus patients but for others who deal with large numbers of people on a daily basis.