Fujian testing fish caught and traded from sea for coronavirus
A medic collects swab samples from the mouth and body of a fish.
Medics in Jimei District in the city of Xiamen, Fujian Province, have begun collecting throat swab samples of newly caught and traded fish from the sea to cope with possible COVID-19 transmission, Taihainet.com reported on Wednesday.
Xiamen reported 16 imported coronavirus infections and 10 confirmed locally transmitted cases on Wednesday.
According to the district's legal commission, fishermen in the Fujian cities or counties of Zhangzhou, Xiapu and Pingtan have conducted illegal trade with foreign ships since June, leading to infections and posing a serious threat to pandemic control.
Fishermen in the district will take one PCR test along with their catch every day, an official from the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Ocean Development told Jinan Times on Wednesday. Swab samples from the throats and bodies of caught or traded fish are required.
Fishermen who have not fished at sea for extended periods of time will undergo weekly health monitoring – PCR testing on the 1st, 4th and 7th days.
Local officials said at a press conference that the recent COVID-19 outbreak in southern Hainan Province was also most likely caused by fishing trade between domestic and foreign fishermen at sea. This is the first time the highly transmissible BA.5.1.3 Omicron subvariant has been detected in China.
The BA.5.1 subvariant has recently been detected in Vietnam. The first infections had links with ports, fishing boats, fishermen and fish markets.
