The first case of swine fever in Barcelona forces the closure of Collserola

BarcelonaAfrican swine fever (ASF) has reached Barcelona. A new positive case of a wild boar infected with the virus has been detected within the Barcelona municipality, as reported this afternoon by the Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, who indicated that this new case will appear in tomorrow's official count by the Ministry of Agriculture. This latest positive result has prompted heightened precautions in the Collserola mountain range, where the closure of the natural park has been reinforced, as reported earlier today by the online newspaper. NationOrdeig explained that a resolution will be issued tomorrow to extend access restrictions to the natural environment, specifically expanding them to the entire Collserola Natural Park. "We are continuing with the containment strategy for the epicenter and the entire Collserola area; as you know, closing the entire natural park is impossible," the minister admitted, "but we are implementing a containment strategy and also reinforcing our resources with captures," he continued. The minister detailed that they met this morning with the municipalities affected by the natural park's entry into the highest-risk zone, as well as with the park's consortium, and that the resolution will be made public tomorrow, Thursday. The Minister of Agriculture again asked for patience and insisted that "the solution will not be short-term under any circumstances." Ordeig explained that containing the virus in this area is easier because it borders the Mediterranean Sea on one side, but, conversely, "there is a difficulty" because it is all happening in a densely populated urban area full of businesses, making perimeter closures difficult.

18 municipalities and Collserola under control

Thus, the Collserola area of ​​Barcelona has been added to the list of municipalities within the highest-risk perimeter for African swine fever. Access to the natural park was already restricted at night and for groups in the southernmost part.

The latest official data on the spread of this virus is from last Friday, March 6, and raised the total number of municipalities or areas at highest risk to 18. In fact, Sant Just Desvern and Esplugues were also added to the list that same Friday. The other 16 municipalities under perimeter restrictions are mainly in the Vallès Occidental region and around Collserola. These are Bahía del Vallés, Barberá del Vallés, Cerdanyola del Vallés, the enclave of Barcelona, ​​​​Molins de Rei, Montcada i Reixac, el Papiol, Polinyà, Ripollet, Rubí, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda.

In these areas, access to the natural environment and activities such as walking, running, cycling, or walking dogs in the woods or along paths are prohibited. Picnic areas and parking lots are also closed. However, access to homes, conducting business indoors, and visiting restaurants or sports facilities are permitted.