Virus spread poses threat to security, defense forces fighting Taliban: Ashraf Ghani Public health minister urges citizens not to take part in new-year festival public celebrations KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday urged government officials to stop hugging and shaking hands in a bid to prevent the spread of the killer coronavirus. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Ghani said the virus posed a threat to the country’s security and defense forces involved in combating a broadening Taliban insurgency. And in a further effort to contain the global outbreak, Afghan Minister of Public Health Ferozuddin Feroz called on people not to take part in Nowruz (Persian new year) festival public celebrations later this month. The government in Afghanistan has so far confirmed only one positive case of COVID-19 infection, although 80 Afghans who recently returned from neighboring Iran (where there have been 3,513 recorded cases and 107 deaths) are a concern. Ghani said: “The campaign against this virus requires a major change in our culture and system of governance. The first clear and primary requirement is to change this culture in the administration and please refrain from handshaking and embracing … and this should be taken very seriously.” The president added that the deportations in recent weeks of a number of Afghan migrants from Iran, where they have lived for decades, was a worry for his government. Kabul recently closed its border with Iran over fears that scores of returnees could be infected with the deadly coronavirus, and it has also halted air and land travel between Afghanistan and Iran. Days ago, Uzbekistan sealed off its border with Afghanistan to prevent a possible spread of the virus. The closure of border crossings with Iran and Uzbekistan has restricted trade and Afghan imports of food, gas and fuel. Ghani said authorities needed to focus on resolving potential issues such as food security in the country in the wake of import and export restrictions. Meanwhile, on the Nowruz festival, Feroz said: “I request my countrymen that it is better to not participate in Nowruz. This is in their interest, for the interests of their families and the public at large, since there is a chance that the virus spreads in such large gatherings.”