Dutch hamsters testing positive for Covid causing fears in Hong Kong

Hamsters from the Netherlands testing positive for Covid-19 sparked fear in Hong Kong. The city issued an urgent warning to owners not to kiss their animals and started culling rodents. About 2,000 pets will be culled, De Telegraaf reports.

The concerns started when a pet store owner in the city tested positive for Covid-19 and infected others. The hamsters in the store - imported from the Netherlands, according to local media - also tested positive for the coronavirus. Other pet stores and people who bought a hamster after December 22 have been instructed to bring the animal for testing and culling.

If the hamster tests positive, the owner must go into quarantine. The same goes for everyone who visited a pet store with infected rodents. So far, about 150 people are in quarantine. 

The Chinese authorities said that there is no evidence that pets transmitted the coronavirus to humans, but they want to be careful.