Hong Kong to Kill 2,000 Animals After Hamsters Get COVID-19

The city will also stop the sale of hamsters and the import of small mammals, according to officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

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CORRECTS TO SAY 2,000 SMALL ANIMALS, NOT 2,000 HAMSTERS - A staffer from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department walks past a pet shop which was closed after some pet hamsters were, authorities said, tested positive for the coronavirus, in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday that they will kill about 2,000 small animals, including hamsters, after several tested positive for the coronavirus at the pet store where an employee was also infected. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Image via AP Photo/Kin Cheung

This article was republished here with permission from The Associated Press, however it is no longer available to read on Snopes.com.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday that they will kill about 2,000 small animals, including hamsters, after several tested positive for the coronavirus at a pet store where an employee was also infected. The city will also stop the sale of hamsters and the import of small mammals, according to officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The pet shop employee tested positive for the delta variant on Monday, and several…

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