Hong Kong to cull 2,000 animals as some test COVID-positive

HONG KONG – Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday that they volition cull immoderate 2,000 tiny animals, including hamsters aft respective of the rodents tested affirmative for the microorganism astatine a favored store wherever an infected worker was working.

The metropolis volition besides halt the merchantability and import of tiny mammals including hamsters, according to an authoritative from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The determination came aft the favored store worker tested affirmative for the delta variant connected Monday. Several hamsters imported from the Netherlands astatine the aforesaid store tested affirmative for the coronavirus arsenic well.

Even though authorities acknowledged that determination is “no evidence” that pets tin transmit the coronavirus to humans, arsenic a precautionary measure, customers who had purchased hamsters from the affected store aft Jan. 7 volition beryllium traced and beryllium taxable to mandatory quarantine.

They indispensable besides manus implicit their hamsters to authorities to beryllium enactment down.

Ad

Authorities said that each favored stores selling hamsters successful Hong Kong indispensable cease operations and that astir 2,000 tiny mammals, including hamsters and chinchillas, volition beryllium culled successful a humane manner.

Customers who bought hamsters successful Hong Kong from Dec. 22 volition besides beryllium taxable to mandatory investigating and are urged not to spell into the assemblage until their tests person returned negative. If their hamsters trial positive, they volition beryllium taxable to quarantine.

For now, authorities said they would not regularisation retired transmission betwixt quality and animals.

Separately, Hong Kong constabulary person arrested 2 erstwhile formation attendants for allegedly leaving their homes erstwhile they should person been successful isolation for imaginable coronavirus infections, which were aboriginal confirmed.

The 2 arrived from the U.S. connected Dec. 24 and 25. While successful aesculapian surveillance, they had “conducted unnecessary activities,” according to a authorities connection posted precocious Monday.

Ad

While the connection did not sanction their employer, the arrests came aft flagship bearer Cathay Pacific said it had fired 2 unit members for breaching coronavirus protocols. Both aboriginal tested affirmative for the omicron variant.

Cathay antecedently said the actions of the unit who had breached coronavirus protocols was “extremely disappointing” and apologized for the disruption. The institution had to chopped backmost connected flights — some rider and cargo — successful January amid tightened microorganism curbs.

The duo person been released connected bail and volition person their lawsuit heard successful tribunal connected Feb. 9. If convicted of violating anti-epidemic regulations, they could look up to 6 months imprisonment and a good of up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ($642).

Hong Kong has been grappling with a section omicron outbreak traced to respective Cathay Pacific unit members who had dined astatine bars and restaurants crossed the metropolis earlier aboriginal investigating affirmative for the omicron variant.

Ad

Previously successful Hong Kong, definite aerial and oversea unit members could isolate astatine location nether definite quarantine exemptions. Regulations tightened Dec. 31 necessitate unit members to isolate successful a designated quarantine edifice for astir a week to safeguard nationalist health.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.