Chinese Legislature To Fast-Track Ban On Trade, Consumption Of Wild Animals Amid Coronavirus Epidemic
Some of the earliest coronavirus infections were found in people exposed to a wildlife market in Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan, where bats, snakes, civets and other animals were sold. Since the inception of the outbreak, health experts have been outspoken about how such places are fertile breeding grounds for viruses. Other news from China looks at health care workers' infections, pregnant women, and evacuations from Wuhan.
Reuters:
China Bans Trade, Consumption Of Wild Animals Due To Coronavirus
China's top legislature said it will immediately ban the trade and consumption of wild animals, in a fast-track decision it says will allow the country to win the battle against the coronavirus outbreak. The announcement, made late on Monday according to the official Xinhua News Agency, comes after an initial suspension of the trade and consumption of wildlife in January. (2/24)
Stat:
Health Worker Infections Underscore The Chaos Of Coronavirus Response
Thousands of health care workers, largely in China, have been infected amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, a sign of the immensely difficult working conditions for medical staffers, who should be among those best protected against infection. The infections, along with the deaths of several doctors in China, underscore the deeply challenging, chaotic environment that health care workers confront when toiling on the front lines of a major outbreak. (Thielking, 2/25)
The New York Times:
‘I Felt Like Crying’: Coronavirus Shakes China’s Expecting Mothers
The hospital waiting room was filled with dozens of women wearing homemade hazmat suits. Their hair was tucked tightly under shower caps. Their rain ponchos zipped taut over winter coats. All of the women, anxious and pregnant during the coronavirus outbreak, had been waiting hours to see the same doctor. “I don’t feel at ease,” said Vigor Liu, who is five months pregnant with her first child. After waiting for three hours, Ms. Liu finally saw the doctor for a brief 10-minute conversation. His advice: stop reading the news. (Stevenson, 2/25)
The New York Times:
Hong Kong Says It Will Begin Evacuating Residents From Wuhan
The Hong Kong government, which has faced growing demands to evacuate its residents from mainland China after one died of the coronavirus, said on Monday that it would begin bringing people back from Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak. Thousands of Hong Kong residents have been unable to return after much of Hubei was put on lockdown last month. Their worries were heightened when officials said on Sunday that a 77-year-old Hong Kong man who was infected with the coronavirus had died in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei. (Ramzy, Yu and May, 2/24)
