The army will be assisting at the Czech border because of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Defence Minister Jana Cernochova (ODS) announced yesterday. She said soldiers from the military veterinary administration would help with checks of trucks at border crossings.
Cernochova said Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny (KDU-CSL) had told her earlier yesterday that veterinary workers would appreciate the army’s assistance with the border controls.
Some 20 military personnel should help with the checks, Vyborny told Czech Television last night. They should replace the vets from Thursday or Friday, he added.
FMD is a highly infectious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, as well as wild animals. The disease has recently appeared in Hungary and then in Slovakia, after half a century. On Sunday, a fifth outbreak was confirmed on a large farm with about 3,500 animals in western Slovakia, about 40 kilometres from the Czech border.
The Czech Republic is introducing further preventive measures against the spread of FMD into the country. From yesterday, checks on trucks carrying animals, food or feed have been extended to the Halamky crossing in southern Bohemia.
Vets have also banned visits to sheep, goat, cattle and pig farms by people who trim the animals’ hooves or cut their wool. Preventive PCR tests on milk from farms in the South Moravian Region are also due to start.
Trucks are now being inspected at seven selected border crossings with Slovakia and Austria, and trucks at risk of transmitting the disease to the Czech Republic are being disinfected. Police officers are working together with firefighters, customs officers and veterinarians. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also announced yesterday that his country would introduce tighter controls at Polish borders with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany due to FMD.
Since last week, emergency plans have been activated in case the disease reaches the Czech Republic. Vyborny asked the army for possible cooperation last Thursday. Cernochova subsequently asked Chief of the General Staff Karel Rehka to find out how many soldiers from the Czech Army’s veterinary administration would be able to participate in border checks.
Vyborny said that the staff capacity of the State Veterinary Administration (SVS) was limited and there were not enough people for such emergencies. Therefore, a government decree will be prepared to enable the use of staff from the military veterinary administration to replace veterinarians at the border from Thursday or Friday, the minister said.
“We are counting on about 20 workers who could be used in this way and strengthen controls at the border,” Vyborny told Czech Television yesterday evening.
On Wednesday, Cernochova plans to submit a draft resolution to the government that would authorise military vets to carry out border checks. She said the soldiers would be needed to help with vehicle checking and decontamination at seven border crossings.
The Czech army has almost 30 specialists in the veterinary field, Defence Ministry spokesman David Sima told CTK yesterday. “The army can deploy c. 20 troops, not only veterinarians, but also veterinary technicians and other specialists,” he said, adding that details would be known only after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
