More mink at Abbotsford farm catch COVID-19 as facility stays under quarantine

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) — Two mink at a farm in Abbotsford have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.

Five additional samples, from the same farm, have come back positive for SARS-CoV-2 since May 2021.

The two positive mink were identified through surveillance methods led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Rural Development.

Related Articles:

• B.C. mink farmer decides to destroy 1,000 animals after positive COVID-19 tests

• Shut B.C. mink farms down to prevent coronavirus mutation: infectious disease prof

• Quarantined B.C. farms where over 1,000 mink died resume breeding stock

As a result, the province has put an immediate moratorium on any new mink farms from opening in B.C. and capped existing farms at current numbers.

There are nine mink farms in B.C., all of which are in the Fraser Valley, with three of them under quarantine since December, 2020.

Each farm must now report its total number of mink to the provincial health officer and their local health authority.