Coronavirus found on frozen seafood packaging in Chinese port city

Authorities in Yantai say pathogen detected during tests of food wrapping and processing workers

No staff in contact with the shipment test positive but have been put under quarantine, report says

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Yantai authorities say the coronavirus was detected on frozen seafood packaging. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:00pm, 11 Aug 2020Updated: 10:58pm, 11 Aug 2020

Authorities in the eastern Chinese port city of Yantai said the new coronavirus was detected on packaging of imported frozen seafood.

The confirmation on Tuesday comes as administrations around the country step up monitoring of frozen food processing in response to outbreaks linked to the industry in the capital Beijing and the northeastern city of Dalian in Liaoning province.

The most recent contamination was detected at the Yantai Economic and Technological Development Zone in Shandong province on Sunday during blanket tests on frozen food and processing workers, the official Dazhong Daily reported.

The test results were reconfirmed by the city’s centre for disease control and prevention on Monday, the report added, citing Yantai’s Covid-19 steering group.

None of the people who had close contact with the seafood batch tested positive but they have been placed under quarantine, the report said.

Yantai officials said the affected seafood came in one batch from a foreign vessel that entered the country via Dalian port.

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