2000 Small animals in Hong Kong to be killed because of covid.

[Catherine]

A pet store staff in Hong Kong tested positive for covid. Two hamsters in the store tested positive as well. In response to this 2000 small animals, including hamsters will be killed. In particular the hamsters sold at the pet store will be traced and killed. The local SPCA is shocked at the drastic response and is urging the government to review its decision.


https://www.cp24.com/world/hong-kong-to-...-1.5744159

This is unfortunate. The little animals do not deserve to die like this. Very likely the hamsters caught covid from the staff at the pet store. Hamsters do not have a lot of social contacts. They don't go anywhere and they sleep all day. All of the small animals involved only have contact with the humans that look after them. It is not like they go out and bring the virus home. If the virus is spreading it is because of human behavior. Killing little animals like hamsters might seem like they are doing something, but it will not help contain the spread of the virus. They would be better to trace the movements of the pet store staff. That person caught the virus somewhere.

[LPC]

The hamsters could be isolated for ten days, just like happens with humans. For those who bought hamsters recently from the store, isolation could also be imposed. There is absolutely no reason to have all the animals - even species not infected - killed.

The human with Covid won't be killed - so why the hamsters? Isolation would suffice in such cases, for humans and animals alike.

[Catherine]

They have no proof of transmission from the animals to the humans. It is human to animal transmission in this case. 
You are right, isolation for a short period would be enough. However, they do not have the pandemic under control, so  acting against the small animals makes it look like they are doing something. It won't help and it is cruel. 

Why do we always respond by killing the animals.

This is an interesting side effect of the situation. People really want to protect their pets.

https://www.ft.com/content/b6394fff-5169...37b8e0da31

People are not going to let their pets be taken. 
Some people will probably hide their small pets.

[Catherine]

The cull has carried on and over 2000 animals have been killed. So far only 9 hamsters have tested positive. Out of the 800 hamsters sampled, that is not a large number. Five  people who visited a pet shop also tested positive for covid. Of course it has not been determined where they caught covid. 

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/01/22/9-hams...l-animals/

The World Health Organization maintains that the risk of animal to human transmission is low. This strong reaction to an infected hamster is not really going to help the overall pandemic situation. Instead it has created a panic among hamster owners. More than 50 hamsters were found abandoned in the streets.  If hamsters were really a source of the virus all these abandoned hamsters would be a health hazard. Instead it is just a sad case of animal abandonment. Little hamsters out on the streets are not going to do well. It is a dangerous, frightening experience for them.

Fortunately there are some who are looking out for the hamsters.

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/01/20/covid-...concerned/

Hopefully things will calm down when no more infected hamsters are found.

[LPC]

Unfortunately, Hong Kong is under the firm control of Communist China. Everyone must toe the line or face severe punishment. All those hamsters killed or abandoned, because of a totalitarian regime enforcing draconian health directives! As I wrote previously, isolation for the hamsters, plus their human caretakers, would have been sufficient.

[Catherine]

You are right, isolation would have been enough. They are over reacting and it won't help the situation at all. It just upsets people and they are not going to be open about having covid or being exposed to it. While this is going on innocent animals are being hurt. 

Why do we always go for the cull when anything goes wrong. There are other better solutions. This time the animals they are killing are very helpless, fragile little creatures. It is shameful.