For a long time, Boris Johnson’s government was singled out for its apparent inaction in the fight against Covid-19, when the pandemic touched down in Europe in early 2020.
Having first bet on a hypothetical herd immunity – soon losing this bet – the British executive finally resolved to confine the United Kingdom as of March 23. And it seems that after this initial passivity, the local authorities let themselves be carried away, coming very close to a cruel excess of zeal.
Indeed, according to statements by a former Health Ministry executive on Wednesday, they thought about asking cat owners to remove them as a precautionary measure, at the height of a health crisis that was difficult to understand. and exits.
James Bethell, a member of the House of Lords and former deputy to Health Minister Matt Hancock between 2020 and 2021, spoke to Channel 4 News, in an interview broadcast on the independent. “We must not forget how little we knew about the disease. There was even a moment when we wondered if domestic animals could transmit it, ”he introduced before letting go:
“In fact, at one point the idea of asking people to exterminate all cats in the UK was floated. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had wanted to do that? And yet, at some point there were elements in this direction, so we had to scout this track to rule it out.”
When the authorities recommended not to “kiss” your cat
To give an idea of the extent of the carnage the British escaped, we can cite this census by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, which put the number of registered cats in the UK at 12 million. United in 2023. And according to this report PAW (acronym that forms the word “paw” in English), already had 10.9 million at the time of confinement.
It is true that the massacre of the innocent cats did not take place, but they still suffered the official rancor of the authorities. In April 2020, the president of the British Veterinary Association, Daniella Dos Santos, recommended that cat owners not let them out, before modifying her comments – a bit.
Above all, Margaret Hosie, a virologist affiliated with the University of Glasgow then in charge of testing policy, reminded cat lovers next July to be “very careful about hygiene” and not to “kiss them.” “, as he points out here. guardian. A conjoined female had just contracted the virus, earning herself the sad honor of being the first domestic animal to be infected with Covid-19.
Source: BFM TV
