“The restrictions on access to the premises and the ban on teaching at the Agricultural School Farm in Žabčice are still in force. Teaching and excursions of students are also prohibited and the ban on third parties entering the Sokolnice premises is still in force,” Jan Mareš, Rector of Mendel University in Brno, described the current situation. These restrictions are based on the current Rector’s Order, which also includes a ban on business trips of employees and trips and practical internships of students to Hungary and the Slovak Republic.

The possible spread of the disease would have a major impact on the operation of the enterprise and would affect the health of all animals. Žabčice has 1 400 cattle, most of them dairy cows, including a unique collection of meat breeds. “Due to the teaching focus of the enterprise and the high frequency of people moving around the SNP operation on a regular basis, we are taking precautions to minimise the risks. People are not at risk of foot-and-mouth disease, but they can participate in the spread of the virus causing the disease,” said Leoš Pavlata, Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences at MENDELU.

Due to measures to protect against the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, the University has already restricted access to the premises and teaching at the School Agricultural Farm in Žabčice and the Sokolnice forest of the Masaryk Forest School in Křtiny during March.