Silence within the swine fever security zone: “There are fewer people than in the covid” | News from Catalonia | EUROtoday

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Generalitat, Òscar Ordeig, introduced this Sunday that African swine fever (ASF) was being contained inside the six-kilometer radius across the Collserola space, the place the wild boar an infection originated. The variety of instances which have examined optimistic stays at 13, however the containment effort is much from changing into extra versatile. Ordeig has as soon as once more requested residents to not set foot on roads or within the vegetation areas inside the 20 kilometer radius of the Collserola pure park for worry that the virus will unfold, infecting farms and aggravating a disaster that already stains the pig sector. Citizens have understood the seriousness of the message and the warnings have resonated with the inhabitants: this Sunday, in the course of the Purísima festive weekend, there have been only a few who wandered this Sunday by floor zero of Collserola, the most important city park in Europe.

The neighbors themselves have been very shocked by the low inflow of individuals. Damià Gibernet lives within the Can Mandó farmhouse in the course of the pure park: “Last weekend it was noticed that there were fewer people, but when they announced that the UME was coming and the councilor Òscar Ordeig got tough, they stopped coming.” “You see very few cyclists and very few people on foot. Even less than in the covid with the pandemic. As a neighbor, it is a great situation, there is a lot of peace and a lot of calm. I have the chickens confined because of the bird flu, there are no hikers because of the swine fever… I imagine that this is the consequence of climate change and globalization,” Gibernet concluded.

Juan Pablo walks alone on the shoulder of the Arrabassada freeway. He stops in entrance of a municipal animal shelter. “Every Sunday I come walking from the Sant Pau hospital. It’s my therapy. Today the police told me that I couldn’t go because of nature. I went on the asphalt and it’s not the same. Let’s see if this ends soon,” he says, earlier than taking a breath and persevering with his tempo upwards.

In this mountain space of ​​Barcelona there are various fewer biking followers than typical. At a bend a small group of three cyclists with mountain bikes cease. “We always let off steam on the roads and today we have to go on the asphalt: this is boring,” they complain.

Past the municipality of Vallvidrera, on a paved street, are the places of work of the Sierra de Collserola Natural Park Consortium. “Today very few people have come to ask questions. It is obvious that they know the restrictions,” one of many Consortium’s technicians stands out his chest whereas exhibiting a dozen brochures. With the {photograph} of a wild boar occupying the quilt, these paperwork are one of many Generalitat’s methods to disseminate “advice to avoid the spread of ASF.”

The El Racó restaurant in Collserola is nearly abandoned. “It’s not normal, at this time on a Sunday it should be full,” admits a waiter. On all grime roads, there are prohibiting tapes and indicators asserting: “African Swine Fever Infection Zones” and a mess of symbols prohibiting entry to hikers, cyclists, runners and leashed canine. Although entry is prohibited, the signal takes the chance to ask for collaboration: “If you find dead wild boars, do not handle them and call 112.” At one of many entrances to the restaurant there’s a mounted warning signal: “Attention to wild boars. Wild animals. Danger of attack or bite.” As if there have been few warnings in regards to the hazard of this wild fauna, the signage provides: “Do not approach them. Do not give them food. Be alert and control your bags.”

In the Les Planes neighborhood there has not been tranquility like this week in years. Three neighbors drink cognac, earlier than consuming, on the doorways of the Miguel bar. “The hikers don’t bother us, but it has been very noticeable that the media is doing their job. We haven’t seen this empty in years,” says one of many neighbors.

In the mountains there are a whole lot of prohibition notices, however there should not many brokers who carefully management the paths, regardless of the very fact that there’s a machine with a thousand troops to regulate the hundred paths that make their approach into the inside of the Collserola park. In the Sol i Aire urbanization of Sant Cugat, Lluís and half a dozen volunteers from the Sol i Aire Self-Protection Group dressed up this Sunday in reflective vests and determined to tell anybody who got here to the paths that run by their properties of the restrictions. “There are restaurants, but they can’t go on the roads. We have a lot at stake with swine fever,” he concludes whereas persevering with to warn any approaching automobile.

The roads of Sant Cugat and Cerdanyola del Vallès are fully empty. Ordeig has as soon as once more requested residents to not go to rural areas inside the 20 kilometer perimeter across the outbreak. The Generalitat has analyzed greater than 100 useless animals. The counselor has despatched “encouragement” to the ranchers and assures that they’re taking steps to open exports to extra nations. In the danger space round Collserola there are 55 pig breeding farms, with a complete capability for about 80,000 animals. Of these animals, when it is time, some 35,600 animals will go to the slaughterhouse. The relaxation are the moms and their infants.