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In Hong Kong, COVID-19 was discovered on imported pork and beef packaging.

HONG KONG, Feb. 22 – COVID-19 was discovered in samples obtained from the packaging of imported frozen beef from Brazil and frozen hog skin from Poland, according to Hong Kong authorities, who promised to increase food inspections.

The global financial centre follows mainland China's "dynamic zero COVID" strategy, which aims to eliminate any outbreaks at all costs. Authorities are on high alert as a new wave of diseases proves difficult to contain.

The number of daily infections has climbed dramatically this year, reaching a new high of 7,533 cases on Monday, far outstripping the government's testing, hospital, and quarantine capacity.

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) took 36 samples for testing from a batch of 1,100 cartons of frozen beef shipped by sea from Brazil, weighing a total of 29 tonnes. One outside packaging sample and two interior packaging samples were found to be positive.

It also took 12 samples from a batch of 300 cartons of frozen pork skin imported by sea from Poland, weighing roughly 7 tonnes. COVID-19 was found in one sample of inner packaging.

"The CFS has directed the relevant importers to dispose of the beef and pork skin from the same batches," the ministry said late Monday in a statement. "The CFS will also increase the sampling of related products for testing."

Since mid-2020, Hong Kong has started screening frozen food imports for COVID-19, and positive samples were discovered on pomfret fish packaging in August 2021 and cuttlefish packaging in November 2021.

COVID-19 is mostly conveyed through droplets, cannot multiply in food or food packaging, and is unlikely to be transmitted to humans through food consumption, according to authorities.

Nonetheless, they advise that raw food be handled separately, that hygiene guidelines be followed, and that food be adequately cooked.

Hong Kong is once again following mainland China's COVID-19 restrictions on food imports, with increased inspections. Unlike other countries, China considers frozen food packaging to be a potential source of COVID-19 transmission.

In Mainland China A number of incidences of the virus were discovered on chilled food packaging in China, leading product rejections and exporter complaints. According to the World Health Organization, there are no known transmission pathways through food or packaging.

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