Paul McCartney performs live at The O2 Arena in London in 2018. Photo / Getty Images
Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney has called for China to ban wet markets, which sell freshly slaughtered animals and have widely been blamed for the outbreak of Covid-19.
Speaking to Howard Stern on SiriusXM, he said: "I really hope that this will mean that the Chinese government will say, 'OK, guys, we have really got to get super hygienic around here.'
"Let's face it, it is a little bit medieval eating bats ...
"It wouldn't be so bad if this is the only thing it seems like you can blame on those wet markets.
"It seems like Sars, avian flu, all sorts of other stuff that has afflicted us, and what's it for? For these quite medieval practices. They need to clean up their act. This may lead to it. If this doesn't, I don't know what will."
• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
McCartney fumed that letting the markets continue is akin to "letting off atomic bombs".
He said: "I think it makes a lot of sense ... when you've got the obscenity of some of the stuff that's going on there and what comes out of it, they might as well be letting off atomic bombs. It's affecting the whole world.
"I understand that part of it is going to be: people have done it for ever, this is the way we do things. But they did slavery forever, too. You've got to change things at some point."
McCartney - who is in the UK while wife Nancy Shevell is isolating in New York - also praised the community spirit he's seen amid the pandemic.
The 77-year-old singer admitted he initially worried strict lockdown measures put in place around the world to slow the spread of the disease would lead to looting of stores and "crazy" behaviour, so he's been pleasantly surprised to see people helping one another out and trying to stay positive in such difficult circumstances.
He said: "It's so crazy, I'm from the generation that had just come out of World War II and the spirit they showed, we'll do whatever is necessary, we'll all pull together and stay happy, that spirit is what they needed and it's what we need now.
"It is around, it's what we're seeing, a lot of people are pulling together in a way it's a great thing because if we don't we are finished. But it is good to see that, it's inspiring ...
"When it first started I thought, Here we go, people are going to go crazy, going looting but from what I can see, it's happening the other way, people are realising there's so much good in humanity. I think, thank God it's showing itself, everyone is doing their best to stay safe and look after each other, there is a lot of good spirit ...
"I hope everyone is staying safe and keeping some optimism but the clouds will roll away."
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