HKong to cull thousands of animals as COVID risk

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.

On Monday, the pet shop employee tested positive for the delta variant, and several hamsters imported from the Netherlands at the store tested positive as well. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, animals do not appear to play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus.  But Hong Kong authorities said they are not ruling out transmission between animals and humans. The city will also stop the sale of hamsters and the import of small mammals. Customers who bought hamsters in Hong Kong from Dec. 22 will be subject to mandatory testing and are urged not contact others until their tests have returned negative.