Hong Kong to Lift Ban on Imported Hamsters, as Long as They Test Negative

(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong will lift a ban on importing hamsters for sale around the middle of this month, a year after the city ordered a culling of the furry mammals and shut down all pet shops selling them to eliminate the Covid-19 virus.

Imported hamsters will still need to test negative for Covid before they are made available for sale, because studies found that they are susceptible to the virus and could easily spread it to humans, a spokesman for the city’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in an emailed statement.