Officials in a city in China have proposed a new law to ban residents from eating dog meat.

In a bid to improve food safety in Shenzhen, lawmakers are hoping to bring in the legislation, which would be the first of its kind in the country.

The proposed ban, which was published on the city’s government website, would also include snakes, frogs, bats and turtle meat. Dogs and cats are believed to have been added to the list of banned meats due to their status as companion animals.

It’s understood local officials are now waiting to hear back from local residents about the proposals before bringing them into law.

Describing the changes, legislators claimed it was ‘universal civilisation requirement of a modern society’.

Some animals have been omitted from the changes, including chickens, ducks, sheep and donkeys.

Speaking about the need to introduce a ‘white list’, a government official said it would make things clearer for residents.

They said: “There are so many animal species in nature. In our country alone, there are more than 2,000 kinds of protected wild animal species.

“If the local authority is to produce a list of the wild animals that cannot be eaten, it will be too lengthy and cannot answer the question exactly what animals can be eaten.”

This comes as a temporary nationwide ban on the consumption of wild animals came into force this week to protect citizens during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

According to reports, the country’s top legislators prohibited citizens from eating a variety of species, including peacocks, pangolin and badgers.

The rule change was brought in with such speed that within hours of its announcement the authorities had begun closing down markets selling the black-listed species.

However, animals that may be considered wild but are actually bred for consumption – such as rabbits, pigeons and quail – are still allowed.

According to the People’s Daily, the widespread ban is ‘essential’ and ‘urgent’ to protect the country’s population.

The crackdown on food comes as the numbers of those infected with the disease grow further.

Earlier today, it was announced that the number of people struck down with coronavirus at a packed Tenerife hotel had doubled overnight.

Another two tourists were quarantined in hospital after testing positive for the killer virus.

An Italian doctor and his wife who had been staying at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace had already been transferred to Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria University Hospital.

Two other Italians, who were part of the group of 10 holidaymakers that flew to the island with on 17 February, were quarantined in the same hospital late yesterday (25 February) after testing positive.