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HONG KONG — Hong Kong authorities mentioned they discovered COVID-19 in samples taken from the packaging of imports of frozen beef from Brazil and frozen pork pores and skin from Poland, vowing to step up inspections of imported meals.
The worldwide monetary hub deploys a “dynamic zero COVID” technique much like mainland China’s, aiming to eradicate any outbreaks in any respect prices. Authorities have been on excessive alert as a brand new wave of infections is proving more durable to manage.
Every day infections numbers have risen sharply this yr, reaching a file 7,533 instances on Monday, overwhelming the federal government’s testing, hospital and quarantine capacities.
The Centre for Meals Security (CFS) took 36 samples for testing from a batch of round 1,100 cartons of frozen beef, weighing a complete of 29 tonnes, imported from Brazil by sea. It discovered one outer packaging and two internal packaging samples examined optimistic.
It additionally collected 12 samples from a batch of round 300 cartons of frozen pork pores and skin, weighing round 7 tonnes, imported from Poland by way of sea. One internal packaging pattern examined optimistic for COVID-19.
“The CFS has ordered the importers involved to dispose the meat and pork pores and skin of the identical batches,” the federal government mentioned in an announcement late on Monday. “As well as, the CFS will step up the sampling of comparable merchandise for testing.”
Hong Kong has been monitoring frozen meals imports for COVID-19 since mid-2020 and located optimistic samples on pomfret fish packaging in August 2021 and on cuttlefish packaging in November 2021.
Authorities mentioned COVID-19 is predominantly transmitted via droplets and can’t multiply in meals or meals packaging, and that it’s unlikely that it may be transmitted to people by way of meals consumption.
Nonetheless, they advocate individuals deal with uncooked meals individually, observe hygiene guidelines and cook dinner meals totally.
With stepped-up inspections on meals imports, Hong Kong is once more following within the footsteps of mainland China on COVID-19 insurance policies. In contrast to different international locations, China cites frozen meals packaging as a threat of spreading COVID-19. Learn full story
Mainland China had introduced a lot of instances of the virus being discovered on chilled meals packaging, prompting rejections of products and complaints from exporters. The World Well being Group says neither meals nor packaging are identified transmission routes.
—Reporting by Marius Zaharia; Enhancing by Kenneth Maxwell
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