From the AFP via CTV News:
China on Monday declared an immediate and “comprehensive” ban on the trade and consumption of wild animals, a practice believed responsible for the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
The country’s top legislative committee approved a proposal “prohibiting the illegal wildlife trade, abolishing the bad habit of overconsumption of wildlife, and effectively protecting the lives and health of the people,” state television reported. […]
The coronavirus epidemic had highlighted “the prominent problem of excessive consumption of wild animals, and the huge hidden dangers to public health and safety,” said the report by China Central Television (CCTV).
Chinese health officials have said the virus likely emerged from a market in the central city of Wuhan that sold wild animals as food.
It’s interesting to see China become more involved with the regulation and trade of animals. I do wonder what effects outbreaks like this can have on a population. Will people trust meat less as a product? Will they be more open to plant-based meat alternatives?