Mink: Coronavirus

(asked on 11th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions the Government is having with the (a) Danish and (b) other European Governments to (a) assess the risk posed to public health by the current outbreak of covid strains in mink farms and (b) ensure a rapid UK response to those risks.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 20th November 2020

Defra is monitoring the situation carefully and working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Public Health England.

We have been having regular interactions with the Danish technical experts to understand the situation with the mink cases and the implications of the new variant virus strains.

Our Chief Veterinary Officer and officials have regular contact with our European neighbours who farm mink for fur.

We have published a cross-Government risk assessment for the UK on this situation.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/hairs-risk-assessment-on-sars-cov-2-in-mustelinae-population

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