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Maintaining good hand hygiene
The WHO has stated that washing your hands is the most effective method of preventing transmission.

WHO advice for preventing infection

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is advising everyone to regularly and thoroughly clean their hands in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The guidance states that washing your hands properly should take between 20 and 30 seconds, and should be done more often than usual, particularly after sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose or after being in public spaces where other people are doing so.

Hands should be washed with soap and water – or alcohol-based rub if this is all you have access to – and dried thoroughly afterwards.

The organisation also emphasises the importance of avoiding touching your face as this can transfer the infection to your eyes, nose and mouth, increasing the chance of the virus entering your body.

The WHO has produced two posters on hand washing and rubbing with images, which provide a step-by-step guide on how to properly wash hands.

For more information please visit the WHO website at www.who.int

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

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News Shorts
Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.