By Michel VIARD / Getty Images
The Chinese authorities' zero Covid policy has long disrupted the lives of Hong Kong residents, especially those with hamsters as pets. These small rodents were banned from entering the special administrative region for nearly a year, in response to the discovery of a confirmed case of Covid-19 transmission from the animal to humans.
The Chinese authorities' zero Covid policy has long disrupted the lives of Hong Kong residents, especially those with hamsters as pets. These small rodents were banned from entering the special administrative region for nearly a year, in response to the discovery of a confirmed case of Covid-19 transmission from the animal to humans.
The ban on all hamster imports came into effect in January 2022, after a Little Boss pet store employee, a customer and her husband tested positive for Covid-19. Authorities also found that several hamsters at the pet store, located in the Causeway Bay shopping district, were carrying the virus.
The discovery of the outbreak led to restrictions on the entry of these small mammals into the city-state, as well as the slaughter of 2,300 animals. A hundred of them had been entrusted to the authorities by their owners who feared contracting Covid-19 from their pets, according to the South Morning China Post.
This cull caused a wave of indignation throughout Hong Kong. Several animal rights groups criticized the measure as "cruel," as did some members of parliament. Hamtaro, the famous Japanese hamster from a very popular manga series, had even launched an online petition against this decision of the Hong Kong authorities.
No longer "a main concern"
On January 5, the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) announced a relaxation of restrictions surrounding hamsters given the rarity of cases of Covid-19 transmission from animals to humans. "A year ago, we had very few local cases, and so we had to adopt a more aggressive approach in reducing risks of local outbreaks," Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, of the University of Hong Kong, told the South China Morning Post. "Now we already have so many local cases. Are hamsters still a main concern? At this moment, I don’t think so."
The AFCD stated that random tests will be performed on hamsters entering Hong Kong to verify that they do not carry Covid. "They can only be sold if the test results are negative," reads a statement seen by the South Morning China Post.
This easing of restrictions on hamsters has been welcomed by pet shop owners, who hope it will boost their sales. And for good reason, as many people in Hong Kong have these small pets in their homes. A survey conducted in 2005 by the Census and Statistics Department estimated that there were some 524,800 hamsters on the island.
