Hong Kong: Corona lockdown in city blocks and hamsters that tested positive

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This hamster is also affected by the culling action.

The Hong Kong government confirmed that it carried out the killing of around 2,000 small animals, which animal rights activists criticized.

Despite several protests, many pet owners handed in their hamsters to the official collection point.

The action was intended to help fight the pandemic.

Earlier this week, authorities discovered several hamsters infected with the corona virus in a pet shop - and then ordered the killing of hundreds of hamsters and other rodents such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Now a corona-positive case is said to have been discovered among the hamsters that were given away – as the authorities reported at a press conference:

Chuang Shuk-Kwan, head of the health authority

“We sent the family with the hamster that tested positive to the quarantine center.

They were tested for Corona, we don't have any results yet."

This block of houses in Hong Kong is also being locked down – and cordoned off.

More than 2000 residents are affected, they are not allowed to leave their homes for at least five days.

It's the second major lockdown in the Kwai Chung district, north of the Kowloon Peninsula;

authorities here are currently struggling with an outbreak of the highly infectious omicron variant.

Around 35,000 residents from the densely populated residential area are now being tested for Corona.

Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam warned that the city's corona infections could increase exponentially.

She defended the hamster culling action as a necessary measure.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong Prime Minister

“We have been successful in dealing with some cases of hamsters infected with the Delta variant.

Some animal lovers were against it, but we have to respond in a balanced way.

I understand that pet owners are unhappy, but the greatest public interest is controlling the pandemic.”

Because of the current omicron threat, the Hong Kong government is urging the population to avoid gatherings before the New Year celebrations next week.