China bans hunting & consumption of wild animals amid criticism of wet markets amid Covid

In a massive development, China's People's daily on Tuesday morning reported that country has passed regulations banning hunting and consumption of wild animals and ir products. It furr stated that step has been taken to better safeguard people's health and livelihoods, ding that violators will be severely punished. ban will come into effect from June 1, it said.

This comes as China faces international criticism over outbreak of dely coronavirus that has so far claimed 217,968 lives and has infected 3,138,097 people worldwide. Since outbreak of Covid-19, repeated appeals have been me to China to shut all ir wet markets that have potential to expose humans to health risks through introduction of zootic disease. It remains to be seen how this new ban would impact wet-markets, which have opened again.

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Wet markets in China sells fresh meat, fish, produce, and or perishable goods as distinguished from "dry markets". It gets its name from floors being constantly wet from spraying of fresh produce and cleaning of meat and seafood stalls. A wet market in central Chinese city of Wuhan is believed to be source of coronavirus pandemic that began in December last year. Often, se wet markets sell more rare animals, t rmally found in edibles sections of or countries.

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Wuhan lab leaked virus?

However, claims have also been me that virus was leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan. On April 19, a US media in an investigative report claimed that initial transmission of virus was bat-to-human and "patient zero" worked at laboratory where it was being studied in Wuhan Institute of Virology. Calling virus a naturally occurring strain among bats and t a bioweapon, reports also d that lab employee was accidentally infected before spreing disease among common people outside lab in Wuhan city.

According to news ncy, Wuhan wet market which was initially identified as place of origin of virus never sold bats. However, China blamed wet market to deflect blame from laboratory. report furr mentions that virus was being studied in lab as an attempt by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than capabilities of United States.

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China denies all claims

However, Wuhan Institute of Virology Yuan Zhiming outrightly denied  claims. Zhiming in an interview with Chinese state media called it "impossible" and said that re's way virus came m. Zhiming said that ne of his staff h been infected, and "whole institute is carrying out research in different areas related to coronavirus". laboratory’s director said that media outlets are trying to misle people. “As people who carry out viral studies we clearly kw what kind of research is going on at institute and how institute mans viruses and samples,” he said. “I kw it’s impossible.”

Criticism of tritional Chinese lifestyle habits and customs isn't just a post-Covid phemen.It has long been criticised for putting entire species under threat. Tritional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has extended this threat to species worldwide, such as in case of Rhis which are butchered in Africa for ir horns, and for bringing into question survival of donkeys, which are also w sought in China for 'medicinal' reasons.

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