Hong Kong To Euthanize Hamsters After COVID Cases Linked to Pet Store

Image copyright: Kin Cheung/AP Photo

The Facts

  • Hong Kong has told pet shops and hamster owners to turn in around 2,000 of the small rodents to be euthanized because of a coronavirus outbreak at a pet store.

  • A pet shop worker, a customer and at least 11 hamsters from one store have been confirmed positive.


The Spin

Anti-China narrative

Hong Kong is taking its "COVID Zero" politics too far. There's no evidence of hamster-to-human transmission and it's outrageous to be killing family pets; they could have been quarantined.

Pro-China narrative

Scientists are still studying the possibility of pet-to-owner transmission. Hong Kong has a low vaccination rate and culling animals is a necessary precaution to protect citizens.


Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

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