Caged minks infect people with COVID-19

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This 27 April 2020 video says about itself:

Netherlands: Minks test positive for COVID-19 on two farms in Brabant

Two mink farms were closed after animals had shown respiratory symptoms and tested positive for the coronavirus in a small town of Beek en Donk in the North Brabant province, Sunday.

Footage shows tape cordoning off buildings of a mink farm.

“Because some employees had symptoms of the coronavirus at both farms, it is assumed that animals have been infected by people,” said the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the statement.

“Currently there is no indication that domestic or farm animals play any role in the spread of COVID-19… and there is no risk that the viral infection will be passed back to humans,” the ministry added.

That was then. But now …

The North Brabant province has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus. According to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the Netherlands has reported 38,040 COVID-19 cases and 4,491 deaths related to the virus.

Translated from Dutch NOS radio today:

It is probable that a coronavirus infection has taken place from mink to human, says Minister of Agriculture Schouten. It is not clear at which mink fur business this happened.

On one of the employees it has been shown that the virus has similarities with the virus that was found in mink in the same business. It would be the first time in the Netherlands that a human has been infected with a coronavirus by an animal. The minister was unable to say how that is in other countries.

Earlier, as the video says, humans had infected caged minks in the Netherlands with COVID-19. Then, the government said that infections could only go that one way. Now, it looks like infection the other way, from animal to human, is possible too.