Veryga: there's no basis yet to fear people might get infected from minks

"The fact that is raising concern is that the coronavirus has entered mink farms in Lithuania as previously it was detected in some other countries as well. (…) But we see from the international community, from international organizations that there's no recommendations to take any additional safety measures at this stage yet," the minister told the national radio LRT on Friday morning.

"Our veterinary service and the National Public Health Center are looking into the situation, tests will be done and then we could say more. Until the, as I am monitoring international recommendations, there are not providing any major basis for concern that people might get infected from animals," he said.

On Thursday, minks were found to have the coronavirus at a mink farm in Lithuania's Jonava District. The virus was detected after samples of dead animals were tested.

Minks in Lithuania underwent preventive tests after coronavirus outbreaks were recorded on mink farms in Denmark initially, and later in Spain, Italy, the US, the Netherlands, Sweden and Greece.

Lithuanian mink breeders are required to provide information on dead animals every week.

86 farms in Lithuania currently have over 1.6 million minks, according to figures from the State Food and Veterinary Service.