A decision to take additional measures, including the 24-hour coverage of crossing points from the occupied to the free areas, in order to ensure the disinfection of wheeled vehicles, was taken on Monday during a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, on the issue of foot-and-mouth disease, under the supervision of the competent Minister, Maria Panayiotou, with the participation of officials and involved bodies.
In his statements after the end of the meeting, the Director of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, said that following the measures that have been taken to date by the Veterinary Services, regarding the foot-and-mouth disease that has broken out in the occupied areas, there was an additional meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture during which it was decided that, in addition to the measures that have been taken to date by the Veterinary Services, there will be twenty-four-hour coverage of the crossing points from the occupied to the free areas, in order to ensure the disinfection of wheeled vehicles.
He added that it was also decided to intensify controls by Veterinary Services personnel, who, he said, have already been intensified since the day the incident was announced, "in order to ensure that there will be no incidents along the livestock farms that exist throughout the ceasefire line."
He added that it was decided to have additional communication with the authorities of the British Bases, the Police, the army and additionally with the livestock farmers' groups, in order to strengthen the surveillance measures of the Green Line area to prevent any illegal activity from and to the occupied areas.
He also said that in addition, a guide with guidelines will be communicated to livestock farmers regarding the creation of areas for disinfecting wheeled vehicles on their farms, as well as in livestock zones, while in addition, there will be new communication with the Australian authorities regarding the issue in order to accept the loads of halloumi that are en route to Australia.
He further stated that in addition to the above, it has already been decided to form a committee, which will be composed of representatives of the Veterinary Services and one representative from each group of animal care professionals, namely from cattle breeders, sheep and goat breeders, pig breeders and additionally cheese makers, in order to ensure continuous monitoring of the issue and the coordinated taking of any necessary measures.
He further clarified that there has not been any other country that has demonstrated the intention to implement any restrictions or trade measures against Cyprus in relation to this specific incident, adding that there is continuous communication with the Directorate-General for Health of the European Commission, as well as with the World Organization for Animal Health, while there will also be communication with the FAO on this specific issue.
Asked about the way in which the Veterinary Services receive updates regarding the situation prevailing in the occupied areas, Mr. Pipis said that any information comes from the printed press or through the internet and the various citizen communication systems that exist on the internet.
When asked whether any noteworthy information emerged from the visit of the four European Union experts, Mr. Pipis said that the visit of the European Union experts demonstrated the correctness of the Veterinary Services' management of the entire case, and specifically that we must currently focus on the farms that exist in the areas under the control of the Republic along the ceasefire line, "which is precisely what we have focused on and with which we are in communication to implement even stricter measures regarding the control of any passage of any personnel to these farms."
Asked whether the disease may affect other animals besides cattle, Mr. Pipis said that the disease in question exclusively affects animals whose hoof is divided in the middle, such as cows, goats, sheep and pigs.
"It does not infect any other animal species and, more importantly, it does not infect humans, for whom it has no significance from a public health perspective," he stressed.
