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Imported cherries tested positive for COVID-19 | |
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Matthew Batinich with the Batinich Cherrymore Orchard, one of the biggest orchards in the town of Young, shows cherries to be exported in Young, near Canberra, capital of Australia, December 5, 2020 (XINHUA)
The center for disease control and prevention in Liangxi District in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, east China, announced on January 22 that a box of imported cherries had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. However, other samples from the same batch all tested negative.
In recent times, some cold chain products have been found to contain the virus, which has made people avoid imported food. But so far, there has been no report about consumers getting infected from imported food.
To ensure that cold chains remain infection-free, enterprises and e-commerce platforms should fulfill their responsibility for prevention and control in accordance with regulations. They should trace the source of foods, monitor their employees' health and disinfect the workplace frequently.
The authorities should conduct extensive tests and respond swiftly once the virus is detected by seizing the products and testing and quarantining the people who handled them. Also, they should foster a prudent public attitude toward the pandemic while releasing information in a timely and transparent way.
This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Beijing Youth Daily on January 25
(Print Edition Title: No Need to Panic)
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