March 3, 2023
3 mins read

Britain briefly mulled culling cats to stop Covid-19

Bethell revelations came after being asked about the government’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic…reports Asian Lite News

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when little was known about the novel virus, the U.K. government briefly considered asking the public to exterminate every cat amid fears that the pets could spread the disease.

Lord Bethell, a former deputy Health Minister from 2020 to 2021, revealed the news Wednesday during an interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News. “Can you imagine what would have happened if we had wanted to do that?” he added. The U.K. has some 10.9 million cats, according to the 2022 PDSA Animal Wellbeing report.

The revelations have sparked astonishment from some on social media, with users sharing images of their own cats and vowing they would have put up a fight. 10 Downing Street’s own feline friend Larry’s unofficial Twitter parody account wrote “hard not to take this personally.”

Bethell added in the Channel 4 interview that there was a moment where evidence suggested there was merit in taking the extraordinary measure but it was investigated and ultimately dismissed.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, animals do not appear to play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus to humans, but cases of animals have been documented and most of them were “infected after contact with people with COVID-19.”

Despite this, there have been examples of some countries pursuing the mass culling of animals or pets in a bid to contain the virus. Hong Kong tested and euthanized some 2,000 hamsters in January 2022, after several tested positive for the virus in the weeks prior. Earlier on in the pandemic, in November 2020, Denmark culled 17 million minks over fears that a mutation could be transferred from minks to humans.

Denmark was the world’s largest mink producer and the decision was found to have no legal justification. The fallout prompted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to call a snap election in October last year after a member of her ruling coalition government threatened to withdraw their support amid the controversy.

Bethell’s comments to Channel 4 comes a day after more than 100,000 private WhatsApp messages in relation to how Matt Hancock, who was Health Minister from 2018 to 2021, handled the pandemic were leaked by political journalist Isabel Oakeshott to The Telegraph.

Bethell revelations came after being asked about the government’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hancock had entrusted Oakeshott with the messages in the hopes of writing a biography. Hancock was the subject of numerous personal and professional scandals, culminating in his resignation in June 2021 amid scandal for breaking COVID-19 restrictions. Among the revelations shared by Oakeshott was that Hancock dismissed expert advice to test anyone entering a care home for COVID-19 in the early days of the outbreak. In the first two years of the pandemic, Britain recorded over 40,000 COVID-19 related deaths in care homes.

The leaked messages appear to show Hancock was concerned that expanding testing in care homes could “get in the way” of his personal target of 100,000 COVID-19 tests per day.

Hancock has denied ignoring expert advice and is reportedly considering legal action over the claims made in the publication.

ALSO READ-Bill Gates appreciates India’s Covid-19 management

Previous Story

QUAD to stem terrorism, sets up Working Group

Next Story

UAE making its mark as global soft power

Latest from -Top News

Uyghurs Face ‘More Repression, No Relief’

CFU stressed that, instead of addressing the UN’s recommendations, Beijing has escalated its repression…reports Asian Lite News On August 31, 2025, Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) marked the third anniversary of the United

Afghan Quake Toll Hits 1,457

More than 6,700 homes have been destroyed due to earthquake as international aid agencies struggle to reach people in remote areas…reports Asian Lite News The death toll from the powerful earthquake that

Xi, Putin, Kim conspiring against US, says Trump

Trump accused Xi of “conspiring against” America after hosting Putin and Kim at Beijing’s largest military parade….reports Asian Lite News US President Donald Trump unleashed a sharp rebuke at Chinese President Xi

India, UAE chase $100b trade dream

India and the UAE reaffirmed their CEPA partnership, setting a $100 billion non-oil trade target by 2030, with strong focus on energy, food, healthcare, and technology….reports Asian Lite News India and the
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Cong seeks Parliament session to discuss Covid

In his letter, Chowdhury said it is important to “convene”

Soon, Covid-19 jab to children from age 5-11

Currently, children 11 and under are only eligible for a