As Covid-19 spreads worldwide, hygiene has become a top concern for citizens around the world.
However, disturbing pictures depicting meat delivered using garbage trucks in Wuhan went viral recently on Chinese social media site, Weibo.
A report by China News today (12 Mar) revealed that citizens received their fresh meat via garbage truck delivery.
This arrangement was made reportedly due to a probable lack of vehicles, reports thepaper.com — another Chinese news site.
According to Global Times, most residents in Wuhan are not allowed to leave their homes due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Hence, the government has taken on the responsibility of delivering supplies – frozen meat in this case – to them.
However, someone from the Qianshan district management committee made the bizarre decision of using garbage trucks for the deliveries.
Source
In total, 1,000 bags of meat were set to be delivered to residents. When the authorities found out about it, 530 bags were already distributed.
Additional pictures posted on Weibo show fresh meat directly placed on a rusty wheelbarrow, which is extremely unsanitary.
Upon realising this grave mistake, the neighbourhood committee immediately have started collecting all 530 bags of distributed meat.
6 working groups were also sent out to apologise for the blunder. Officials promised to redeliver the meat by Thursday (12 Mar).
Despite the committee’s efforts to rectify the situation, the blunder still did not sit well with Chinese Weibo users.
Some expressed that it was a great waste of the country’s precious resources to destroy the reclaimed meat.
Translation: What will happen to the reclaimed meat? Will they be destroyed on the spot? Is it possible to deliver them to other districts? It’d be a great waste of our nation’s resources if were to destroy it. We have to get to the bottom of this.
Others were livid that the well-being of the people was not prioritised by the government.
Translation: This incident is unbelievable and inhuman. The authorities lack human values.
Two officials were sacked after the incident was uncovered, according to China News.
The local government is conducting investigations for the oversight.
With the outbreak of massive Covid-19 in Wuhan, the government should be more vigilant and sensitive to public health.
Let’s hope the officials learn from the incident and will be more responsible in their duties moving forward.
Featured image adapted from QQ.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
He crossed the border daily in hopes of buying a house for his family.
On a few days, the thundery showers might extend into the night.
His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
The toasts were barely a few centimetres thick.