Coronavirus: China considers complete ban on wild animal consumption amid fears the practice sparked outbreak
China is reportedly considering a proposal to ban all trade and consumption of wild animals, which the country's top legislative team has deemed responsible for the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
The proposal, per the official Xinhua news agency, was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Monday. "It aims to completely ban the eating of wild animals and crackdown on illegal wildlife trade," it said.
According to the report, the measure was aimed at "safeguarding public health and ecological security." However, the Standing Committee -- which is responsible for convening the 3,000-member NPC -- has decided to postpone the annual session owing to the outbreak.
According to state newspaper People's Daily, the passage of the proposal was "essential" and "urgent" in helping China win the war against the epidemic, albeit Beijing is yet to revise its wild animal protection law. The virus, per Chinese health officials, likely emerged from a Wuhan market that sold wild animals as food. China ordered a temporary ban on the sale late last month "until the national epidemic situation is over."
The coronavirus, named Covid-19, has claimed 2,592 lives and infected more than 77,000 across the country. While the Chinese economy is paralyzed as a result, the deadly virus has already spread to at least two dozen countries -- infecting more than 1,500 and killing nearly many.
That said, it is still unclear as to when a final decision would be made on the proposed ban, which is likely to face some backlash across the country. China has been accused of turning a blind eye to the illegal trade of exotic animals for food or their use in traditional medicines the efficacy of which is yet to be confirmed by science.
A similar temporary ban was issued after the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus claimed hundreds of lives in China and Hong Kong in 2002-03. The outbreak at the time was also linked to wild-animal consumption. However, the shadowy trade of wildlife resumed shortly after the virus was contained.
According to health experts, the sale of wild animals poses a significant public health risk due to exposure to life-threatening animal-borne pathogens. Scientists have been routinely speculating that the source of the coronavirus originated in bats, pangolins, or some other mammal, but this is yet to be confirmed.
This is after the SARS virus likely originated in bats and later reached humans via civets -- a cat-like creature that reportedly continued to be sold for consumption at the Wuhan market. Other items listed for sale included rats, snakes, giant salamanders, and live wolf pups.