Virus testing for frozen imports in Qingdao
Citizens get nucleic acid test in Qingdao.
The eastern Chinese city of Qingdao in Shandong Province will conduct nucleic acid testing on all imported cold-chain products to combat COVID-19, local authorities said on Tuesday.
The city will also conduct COVID-19 tests every three to five days on workers engaged in loading, unloading, handling, and transporting of imported cold-chain food.
For other workers who have direct contact with imported cold-chain food, nucleic acid tests will be carried out every seven days, said Chen Wansheng, an official with the city’s government, adding that tests will also be conducted in ports, cold storages, and other places.
The novel coronavirus recently re-emerged in the coastal city, and 13 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases had been detected so far.
Inappropriate disinfection in the CT room at the Qingdao Chest Hospital was believed to be responsible for the infections.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday confirmed the detection and isolation of living novel coronavirus on the outer packaging of imported frozen cod in Qingdao during an investigation to trace the source of the recent infections.
It is the first time in the world that living novel coronavirus has been isolated from the outer packaging of cold-chain food, the China CDC said, adding that contact with packaging contaminated by living novel coronavirus could lead to infection.
