Despite the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the wet markets in China still continue their operations.
When the virus was labelled a pandemic, people started to avoid these wet markets. However, with news of local cases plateauing in China, people have come back to the wet markets they once frequented.
The Wuhan Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, the supposed ground zero for the Coronavirus, was officially closed at the start of the year. By February, China had begun to outlaw the trade and consumption of wild animals. However, it seems that these bans have fallen on deaf ears.
While the markets at Wuhan were addressed, the other parts of the country were not. One person from Dongguan was seen to be advertising snakes, bats, lizards, and more for medicine. Another market in Southwest China has dogs and cats crammed into unhygienic cages.
One correspondent stated that it is business as usual at these markets. The only key difference they were able to see was that there are more police around. However, these police only deter people from taking pictures. Before the Coronavirus, this never happened.
The reports of wet market activity continuing comes at an interesting time. It was recently announced that China will join Vietnam in a wildlife ban.
China has supposedly set a ban on the farming and consumption of certain wildlife species. These include wildlife that are of scientific and ecological importance.
It will be made into a law later in the year.
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