QINGDAO — The eastern Chinese city of Qingdao will conduct nucleic acid testing on all imported cold-chain products to enhance the prevention and control of COVID-19, local authorities said on Oct 20.

The city will also conduct COVID-19 tests, every three to five days, on personnel engaged in loading, unloading, handling, and transporting of imported cold-chain food in areas such as ports and cold storage, the municipal government told a news conference on Oct 20.

For other workers who have direct contact with imported cold-chain food, nucleic acid tests will be carried out every seven days, said Chen Wansheng, an official with the municipal government, adding that tests will also be conducted in the vicinities of ports, cold storage, and other places.

The virus recently re-emerged in Qingdao, and 13 newly confirmed cases had been detected so far. Inappropriate disinfection in the CT room at the Qingdao Chest Hospital was believed to be responsible for the infections.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Oct 17 confirmed the detection and isolation of living novel coronavirus on the outer packaging of imported frozen cod in Qingdao during an investigation to trace the source of the recent infections.

It is the first time in the world that living novel coronavirus has been isolated from the outer packaging of cold-chain food, the China CDC said, adding that contact with packaging contaminated by living novel coronavirus could lead to infection.