Shenyang finds coronavirus on imported fish packaging

SHENYANG -- Two samples collected from the packaging of imported caroun croaker have tested positive for COVID-19 in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, local authorities said Sunday.

The city's center for disease control and prevention said while conducting inspection on cold-chain imported food, it detected the novel coronavirus in the samples collected from the packaging of caroun croaker in a van on Saturday. The fish had been imported from India.

Authorities have sealed the batch of imported fish and disinfected the facilities and vehicles used to store and transport the products.

All the people who came in contact with the contaminated packaging are currently under isolated observation and have tested negative for COVID-19.

China has stepped up efforts to block the spread of COVID-19 through imported food. The Ministry of Transport released a guideline in mid-November to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 through cold-chain food imported via roads and waterways.

The State Council's joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 has also unveiled a plan for full-chain, closed-loop, traceable management of imported cold-chain food.