All live bird markets in New York City and in several nearby counties must close temporarily in hopes of curbing the spread of bird flu, which was detected at some of the markets in the past week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.
The order, which came from the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, affects the roughly 80 live markets in New York City and in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Seven cases of bird flu had been detected at markets in Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Markets with confirmed cases must get rid of their inventory, while those where bird flu has not been detected have three days to either sell or dispose of all their inventory. All markets must then be cleaned and disinfected before closing for at least five days.
“Safeguarding public health is all about being proactive,” Governor Hochul said in a statement, adding that she would “continue to take these measured, common-sense steps” to try to stop the spread of the virus.
In response to the avian flu cases in New York, operators of live bird markets in New Jersey have been asked to voluntarily clean and disinfect their markets and equipment once their current stock is gone and to then close for three to four days before reopening with live birds, a state Agriculture Department spokesman said on Friday.
State officials have also asked New Jersey companies that distribute to live bird markets to clean and disinfect their operations, the spokesman, Jeff Wolfe, said. Follow-up testing of live markets and distributors will be conducted, he added.
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