Covid 19: China says corona virus may be lurking in foreign parcels

Chinese authorities have warned that the corona virus could be lurking inside goods arriving from abroad. The BBC reports that city officials in the capital, Beijing, have ordered a ban on ordering goods from abroad. The reason for this is that a woman in Beijing came to Omicron with a parcel that came to her from Canada. Chinese health officials said the virus was found in more parcels that arrived the same day. In the wake of this incident, the Beijing Municipality has warned people to avoid importing goods through e-commerce sites from abroad.

Chinese officials say the Kovid virus is spread from overseas and exported cold foods. However, many health experts disagree. Agencies, including the World Health Organization, say the disease is not spread through foreign products. But Chinese scientists and authorities disagree. A new incident is being reported in the capital, Beijing, as the dispute continues.

According to the BBC, Pang Xinhuo, a Beijing health official, told the media that a Chinese woman who broke into a courier from Canada had contracted omicron. The parcel came from Canada. This woman has never traveled abroad. No contact with foreigners. A search of the parcel found Kovid virus inside and out. Not only this, on the same day several parcels arriving from abroad in the area were also inspected. He said Kovid had found traces of 19 viruses in five of them.

This was stated in a press release issued by the Center for Disease Control in Beijing. The center said it could not rule out the spread of the corona virus from parcels coming from abroad. Parcels from abroad should never be opened indoors. The center says the covers should be opened only after the gloves have been taken out.

With just three weeks to go before the start of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, fears over parcels from abroad have spread across China. On Monday, China announced that it would not sell tickets to the general public to watch the Olympics. Only selected people will have the opportunity to watch the Olympics. The BBC reports that it is not clear how people will be selected or whether they will have a quarantine.

Last Updated Jan 18, 2022, 6:37 PM IST