OTTAWA — Canada rolled out the red carpet for Prince Charles Wednesday but it was covered in disinfectant — a precaution against Britain’s future king bringing foot-and-mouth disease to North America.
The first steps by Charles and his royal entourage as they emerged from their plane was on a mat treated to prevent the spread of the disease. They also pledged that all shoes and clothing they carried had been disinfected.
But precautions against the highly contagious disease affecting British livestock didn’t stop there — Charles will not be visiting any Saskatchewan farms, although he will meet with farmers there. His five-day tour that will take him to Saskatchewan and Yukon Territory.
He was greeted on arrival in Ottawa by Heritage Minister Sheila Copps and other dignitaries.
Charles kicked off his visit with an article in a Canadian newspaper in which he describes the epidemic as an “appalling trauma” but says the cloud has a silver lining because it has brought people together.
“The rural community is at the core of both British and Canadian history and tradition,” he wrote.
A total of 1,475 infected farms in Britain have been infected with the disease, which is not proven dangerous for humans. But it spreads so quickly that entire herds and flocks must be destroyed to contain it. The virus can be transmitted by footwear and motor vehicles.
