A broad meeting chaired by Andreas Gregoriou, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, has decided to establish a coordinating body to oversee the actions that aim to tackle the spread of foot-to-mouth disease to unaffected farms.
Following the broad meeting, Gregoriou announced that the Head of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, will lead the coordinating body and thanked all involved departments and the Ministry of Interior for their prompt response.
He noted that the Police, the National Guard, the Fire Department, the Forest Department, the Veterinary Services, and other services of the Ministry participate in the coordinating body. He also underlined that farmers need to follow the Ministry’s instructions and apply proper biosecurity measures to protect their own animals.
He reaffirmed that the government aims to contain the virus, adding that the experts from the European Commission, who are expected to arrive on Tuesday, 24 February will discuss further measures with the Veterinary Services.
Meanwhile, a police investigative team in Larnaca is already conducting interrogations and investigations to establish whether there were criminal and/or other offences in regards with the incidents associated with the outbreak of the virus.
Local authorities representatives from Aradippou, Athienou, Meneou and Dromolaxia in Larnaca District told CNA that they are intensifying the measures in place to tackle the spread of the virus.
(Source: CNA)
