PINK ZONE. Cebu City is on its way to recovery from African swine fever (ASF), the city Veterinary Office said on Wednesday (May 22, 2024). The city recorded zero ASF cases since November last year. (PNA file photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – The city government will soon place the entire locality under the pink zone category of African swine fever (ASF) as no cases have been recorded since November last year, the city veterinarian announced Wednesday.
Dr. Jessica Maribojoc, head of the Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF), said the red zone classification of the capital city was no longer applicable due to the recent development in their ASF monitoring.
She said her office has already applied to the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas to upgrade the city’s zone classification into the pink zone category.
The city has met all the qualifications to be declared an ASF-free zone, she said.
Pink zone areas are those that have no cases of ASF and will serve as a barrier or a buffer zone against the spread of ASF even if its neighbors still monitor ASF infection.
"Once we are in the pink zone, it is on its way to the green zone and it will have a big impact on the economy, especially on our pig traders," Maribojoc told the Philippine News Agency.
He cited the ASF surveillance team for their ongoing monitoring down to the villages.
“We never stop monitoring the situation. Every Friday until dawn, our people continue checking the status of ASF," she added. (PNA)
