In the capital of China — Beijing — they were scared of frozen food and decided to restrict the import of food from regions with a high risk of coronavirus infection. According to Bloomberg, this is done out of fears that COVID-19 could be transmitted through the packaging of goods.
The authorities in Beijing gave the corresponding order to the companies after two workers unloading frozen seafood fell ill in the port of Qingdao. Imports were restricted from Russia and Brazil. In addition, the import of plants is also limited: this applies to goods from Ecuador, Indonesia, and Brazil. However, there is no evidence yet that the virus can live on the packaging.
Similar restrictions were imposed in the middle of August in Guangzhou, the capital of the most populated Chinese province of Guangdong. The import of frozen meat, fish, and seafood is limited there.
According to WHO, the virus cannot be transmitted to humans from the surface of the product. The positive result of a frozen food test can be explained by the genetic material of dead viruses remaining there, experts say.
