Rajouri, May 26: Amid panic and scare over the deadly COVID-19 outbreak, the authorities in Rajouri district have sent a horse to home quarantine for a period of four weeks after a man along with the horse managed to reach the district from Kashmir Valley on Tuesday, officials said.

Officials told news agency that the care takers of the horse have been directed to use all protective gears while dealing with the animal.

“A team of police on Tuesday late evening intercepted a man returning from Kashmir Valley via Mughal road who was also carrying his horse with him,” official sources said, adding that the man was taken into medical screening center while the authorities were in a fix to decide about the horse.

They said that Thanamandi Tehsildar, Anjum Khatak roped in the veterinary experts to get their views on the horse. “Majority of the veterinary experts claimed horse doesn’t pose any threat as it is not a potential carrier of Coronavirus, but, authorities decided to send the horse to home quarantine as precautionary measure,” official sources said.

Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rajouri, Sher Singh told that after taking into account all the expert opinions, the horse was medically screened for body temperature following which it was handed over to other members of the family.

“All the care takers have been asked to ensure that preventive measures of all kinds are followed while dealing with the animal,” ADC said, adding that the owner of horse, who reached Rajouri from Kashmir, has been shifted to Administrative quarantine –(KNO)