Government begins coronavirus testing at ports after new COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing
China has banned imports of pork from a German company and salmon from Europe as it investigates the source of a new outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Beijing.
Officials said the meat and seafood sections of Beijing’s wholesale food market, Xinfadi, have been found to be “severely contaminated” with the virus.
The new outbreak in China has affected more than 100 people, including workers at the Xinfadi market. Most work in the seafood or beef and mutton section, and the seafood market workers showed symptoms earlier than others, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The source of the new outbreak around Beijing is still unknown, but genetic traces of the virus found in the market suggest it may have come from Europe, according to the South China Morning Post.
On June 18, China banned imports of pork from German producer Tönnies after more than 650 of its workers at a packing plant tested positive for COVID-19. On June 17, reports said China had halted imports of salmon from Europe after the virus was discovered on chopping boards used for imported salmon at Xinfadi.
According to a Reuters report, testing began this week on containers arriving at the port in Tianjin, and officials said imports of meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables would be subject to stronger inspections. Reuters reported that every container in Tianjin is opened and boxes are pulled out for virus testing.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the agency was aware of the testing but that it did not know of any COVID-19 cases that were linked to food or packaging.
According to WATTAgNet.com, Tönnies is Germany’s largest pig slaughterer and among the largest slaughtering/deboning companies worldwide. The company operates seven German and one Dutch production facility (Slakteriet Brørup) for pork and beef processing, as well as a Russian joint venture with Sojuz Group, TKS Union.
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