The Quezon City government announced on Thursday that all of the 14 lechon (roasted pigs) establishments that were temporarily closed in La Loma, Quezon City, are already free from African Swine Fever (ASF).
‘The local government is pleased to announce that there is no longer any [ASF] Virus in 14 lechon establishments in La Loma, Quezon City,’ the city’s government unit said in a statement. The local government unit noted that after it issued a temporary closure order on November 13, the establishments conducted daily disinfection for a week, in compliance with the memorandum of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Aside from the inspection, which was conducted in collaboration with the City Veterinary Department and QC Health Department, the 14 establishments were also directed to comply with the required sanitary, safety and health protocols. The local government added that it ‘will continue to assist entrepreneurs to ensure that all of them follow protocols and maintain the quality of products coming from La Loma.’
On November 13, the 14 establishments in the city’s ‘lechon capital’ were temporarily closed after several pigs tested positive for ASF.
After this, an official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently noted that the ASF cases in La Loma remains an ‘isolated’ case and ‘poses no threat to other markets in the city.’
The DA likewise earlier clarified that the ASF virus cannot be transmitted to humans. /