Sweden is suspending mink fur farming throughout 2021 in the wake of COVID-19. The announcement follows 13 separate outbreaks of the virus in the country’s mink farms. Anti-fur group Humane Society International welcomed the news. However, it is now urging Sweden to end ‘the cruelty and public health risks by permanently ending fur farming’. Dr. Joanna Swabe is the senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe. In a statement sent to PBN, she said: “While we applaud the Swedish government for taking the decision to suspend mink farming, we urge it to go further and permanently shut down this cruel and dangerous industry for good.“ Confining millions of animals to small wire cages for fur production not only causes terrible suffering and deprivation. But, scientists have also concluded that they could represent a serious reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and thus pose a very real risk to public health.“ The Swedish authorities have also recognized that the biosecurity measures taken so far have proved insufficient.” (plantbasednews.org)