Veterinary practices are ‘essential businesses’ during COVID-19: AVMA
The American Veterinary Medical Association is urging government officials to include veterinary clinics in their lists of “essential businesses” as they continue to deal with the spread of the coronavirus.
Authorities across the country are dealing at a local, state and regional level to stem the spread of the virus. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and now Pennsylvania have coordinated their responses, including closing bars and restaurants for dine-in service, while California is under a “stay at home” directive. These orders do allow residents to go to stores freely and go outside for exercise—anything deemed “essential,” like getting groceries and medical care.
But what this means for veterinary clinics depends on the location. San Francisco, as well as Maryland and Pennsylvania, have all deemed the clinics essential, allowing them to stay open while other businesses close. The clinics also have access to personal protective equipment like gloves and surgical masks. The AVMA says this should be the case everywhere.
“Veterinary teams provide essential animal care, play a critical role in protecting the health of animals that enter the food supply, and serve as trusted members of the local community in disaster situations,” the AVMA said in a news release.
The organization listed seven services veterinary practices provide that leaders say are essential:
- Veterinary practitioners and staff, like other health care professionals, provide surveillance for diseases deemed reportable by state and federal governments. They’re also responsible for issuing certificates of veterinary inspection required for the movement of animals between states and countries, including those entering the food supply.
- Vets ensure only healthy animals—both on farms and in urban areas—enter the food supply.
- Practices provide medical and surgical care for critically ill and injured animals.
- Veterinarians provide care for service and therapy animals, which are vital for human welfare.
- Vets oversee care of laboratory animals, which are integral for research into COVID-19 vaccines.
- They also care for animals in zoos and similar facilities. Even if those places are closed, the animals still need care.
- And finally, the AVMA says, “veterinarians and our support staff are trusted professionals involved in disaster situations. While perhaps different from a statutory and regulatory perspective, the training, education, and experience of veterinarians and our staff in disasters are clearly transferrable skills in whatever COVID-19 risk mitigation is deemed necessary.”
For those reasons, the AVMA said, “we urge lawmakers and state executives to protect and preserve public health and ensure that veterinary practices are clearly stated to be ‘essential businesses’ and thereby allowed to continue to provide critical services in our communities.”