Chinese Citizens Asked to Be Careful in Buying Imported Goods, Beware of Covid-19 Transmission Through Objects

BEIJING, KOMPAS.com – Residents in Beijing, China asked to be careful in buying products from abroad.

This warning comes after Beijing authorities found the infected woman Covid-19 not travel or have contact with an infected person.

Authorities say they have tested about 13,000 people living or working in the same area.

Also read: China Raises Covid-19 Alert As Lunar Holiday Begins

Beijing health official Pang Xinghuo said Monday that the coronavirus had been found on the surface of letters that infected people received from Canada, as well as in unopened letters.

“Dozens of letters from the same batch were tested, and 5 showed positive traces of Covid-19, including samples from inside unopened letters,” Pang told reporters. AFP, Monday.

He said the strain of the virus was different from the Omicron case in China, and similar to the strain identified from North America last month.

“We came to the conclusion that the possibility of viral infection through incoming objects cannot be ruled out,” he said.

Therefore, he said, residents should try to avoid buying goods from abroad or imports during the outbreak.

“If you receive an overseas letter, you should wear a mask and disposable gloves to reduce direct contact,” Pang advises.

Also read: Ahead of the Beijing Olympics, China’s Covid-19 cases soar to the highest since March 2020

He also advised people to open packages outdoors.

Theories from Beijing suggest that the coronavirus did not originate in China but may have been “imported” in frozen food.

However, in last year’s report from an international expert appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the transmission of the coronavirus through objects was unlikely.

China has linked a number of its virus clusters to products imported from abroad.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US itself says on its website that it is “possible” people become infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, but that the risk is low.

Within three days, there will be a 99 percent reduction in the traces of the virus left on surfaces.

Analysts themselves have warned China’s ongoing zero-Covid approach will further weigh on the economy.

Also read: Jernang Fruit from Aceh Becomes China’s Target

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