Governments around the world have started putting harsh restrictions on dogsto help minimize the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.
Dog lovers in South Africa have been ordered not to take their beloved petsfor a walk for three weeks, Police Minister Bheki Cele said at a newsconference.
“We had discussions and agreed that there shall be no walking of dogs,” Celesaid. “If you really want to walk your dog, do it around your house – it endsthere.”
The new coronavirus crackdowns — which also ban jogging — come as the country,which has had 709 confirmed cases, begins a 24/7 curfew that the police andthe military will begin enforcing Friday.
South Africans can still leave the house for essential services and to buynecessities like food and medicine. However, the country, unlike New York, hasdeemed alcohol sales as non-essential.
“Any person who is seen leaving a store with liquor, we’ll have problems,”Cele warned.
Dog lovers in Spain, where the virus has also hit with force, are stillallowed to walk their pets — but can’t rent them out to others trying to getout of the house.
The Civil Guard police told Reuters it sanctioned a man who had repeatedlytried to rent his dogs out on Facebook.
Spain, which has had 47,610 cases and 3,434 deaths, declared a state ofemergency on March 14 that imposed strict restrictions on movement — leadingto 484 people arrests so far since the start of quarantine, cops said.
Hong Kong’s government has asked dog owners not to abandon their pets and tostop kissing them after a second dog tested positive for coronavirus and wassent for quarantine, Marketwatch reported.
“In the United States, there is no evidence to suggest that any animals,including pets, livestock, or wildlife, might be a source of COVID-19infection at this time,” according to the CDC.
“However, because all animals can carry germs that can make people sick, it’salways a good idea to practice healthy habits around pets and other animals.”
Source: New York Post
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