Hyderabad: WHO guidelines for Bakrid amid Covid-19

HYDERABAD: Ahead of Bakrid, the festival of sacrifice, falling this year on August 1, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has come out with a set of guidelines for safe celebrations in view of the Covid-19 threat.
Apart from advising people on social distancing and sanitary measures during the Eid congregational prayers, the WHO guidelines also talked about how to deal with the slaughter of sheep without the risk of Covid-19 transmission among humans or from humans to animals.The health body has advised against slaughtering sick sheep and laid emphasis on procuring animals through a trusted official procedure.
“There is evidence of Covid-19 transmission at the human-animal interface. Current evidence suggests that humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 can infect other mammals. However, it remains unclear whether or not these infected mammals pose a significant risk for transmission back to humans. Nevertheless, other zoonotic diseases are associated with livestock and have resulted in disease outbreaks,” WHO said in its Bakrid guidelines.
WHO suggested use of culturally and religiously sanctioned greetings that avoid physical contact, such as waving, nodding or placing hand over the heart. “Prohibit large numbers of people gathering in public places associated with Eid activities such as markets, shops and mosques. If allowed, a mechanism should be in place to regulate such activities and avoid gathering of people,” the WHO document said.
Referring to the ritual of sacrifice, WHO said animals that appear sick should not be slaughtered. There should be dedicated space for quarantine and isolation of suspected ill animals. “Perform adequate veterinary checks for livestock to mitigate other zoonosis and infection. Discourage slaughter at home and increase the number or capacity of slaughter facilities to encourage best practices and ensure safety and physical distancing standards. Slaughter facilities and equipment should be properly maintained,” it said.