Czech Agriculture Minister: Trucks from Slovakia to be checked more strictly from Friday

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The minister, explaining the government’s decision, said that from Friday, all trucks and lorries weighing more than 3.5 tonnes from Slovakia will only be allowed to enter the Czech Republic at five designated border crossings – Mosty u Jablunkova, Bílá-Bumbálka, Stary Hrozenkov, Breclav-Brodské (on the D2 motorway at Lanzhot) and Hodonín. Trucks transporting animals, animal products and animal feed can only enter Czech territory at the first four border crossings. The Hodonín border crossing is basically only open to cars that are not subject to mandatory strict disinfection due to their cargo. The capacity of technical disinfection equipment and staff will be increased at the first four border crossings. From Wednesday, soldiers will also assist border guards at the border crossings. At other Czech-Slovak border crossings, trucks weighing more than 3.5 tons can only enter Czech territory in exceptional cases.

According to the Czech police, about 60,000 trucks and lorries have been checked at the borders so far and about 5,500 cars have been disinfected

On Tuesday, milk inspections began on farms in South Moravia, because the disease appears earliest in milk. The inspections apply to all farms with more than 100 cows. In the Breclav and Hodonín districts, which are located near the Slovak border, the inspections also apply to smaller livestock keepers. According to Marek Vyborny, the inspections so far have yielded negative results. Foot-and-mouth disease was last detected in the Czech Republic in 1975.

MTI