German frozen pork prompts new coronavirus case in Chinese province, contacts quarantined

Weeks after going mask free, China reported a new case of coronavirus after a worker tested positive in the province of Tianjin. As per the authorities, the infection has been traced back to the packaging of a frozen pork knuckle sample imported from Bremen, a city in northwestern Germany. This marks the latest development in the virus, which has infected over 50 million people globally.

Meanwhile, the anti-epidemic group in Tianjin confirmed that the 38-year-old worker had tested positive due to his exposure to the food packaging in the cold storage facility. They added that the packaging was initially imported from Bremen to Tianjin and then relayed further to the city of Dezhou in Shandong Province. In addition to the contaminated forklift, a doorknob at the cold storage facility had also shown the presence of COVID-19 heightening the Chinese scepticism towards the frozen food items.

As per state-controlled daily Global Times, the worker has been diagnosed as a ‘mild case’ and will be receiving treatment at a designated hospital. Meanwhile, eight of his close colleagues have also been quarantined for medical observation. In the aftermath, authorities have also started a contact testing programme, tracing back to his 59 associates, who’ve all been put under quarantine.

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China bans entry due to rising COVID cases

This comes as the Chinese Embassy in India announced that it has temporarily suspended Indians' entry into China. Indians with valid Chinese visas or residence permits will not receive stamped Health Declaration Forms by the Chinese embassy in India. However, foreigners holding Chinese diplomatic, service, courtesy, and C visas are not affected and visas issued after November 3rd, 2020 too won't be affected. This move occurs ahead of India-China's 8th round of military talks over border tensions.

Apart from India, China announced a ban on entry of British nationals into China due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ban would also apply to those currently holding a valid visa or residence permits. China has also barred arrivals from Belgium and Philippines in order to safeguard against cross-border transmission. Meanwhile, Chinese and foreign nationals heading to China from or via Belgium, are required to take nucleic acid and IgM anti-body tests and then apply for a certified health declaration form before boarding the flight.

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