In Shandong, cold-chain worker found with virus

Jiaozhou, a county-level city in Qingdao, Shandong province, reported an asymptomatic coronavirus infection on Monday night involving a 30-year-old man who handled imported cold chain products, the local health authority said.

The man, surnamed Li, is currently living in Jiaozhou and working at a local aquatics product company. He was responsible for handling goods and for disinfection. He is among those who will be given a routine nucleic acid test.
Previous test results had been negative, but a test on Nov 30 was positive.

The tracing effort found coronavirus on the outer packaging of goods Li handled. Now the goods have been sealed, the Qingdao Municipal Health Commission said.

Li, who has no symptoms of COVID-19, is being observed at a designated hospital. A total of 486 contacts have been found and all were tested. Of those, 478 results so far were negative. The remaining test results will be released soon.

Facing a series of COVID-19 cases linked to imported cold chain products, Jinan, Shandong province, began using special warehouses to collect imported cold food on Tuesday.

Cold chain imported food needs three sets of documents —an inspection and quarantine certificate for entry into the country, a list of goods with a certificate of disinfection at a port of entry and a registration on a website for cold chain food management — before it is allowed to enter Jinan for sale and further production, according to a notice released on Monday by the Jinan leading office that coordinates economic development with epidemic prevention and control.

Shipments that lack the documentation are sent to a special warehouse, where they undergo tests and disinfection.

Fees incurred in the testing and disinfection process are paid by the purchasers of the cold chain food.

The notice also makes clear the responsibilities of drivers and porters who had contact with the cold chain food, as well as parties that plan to used the cold food, such as restaurants.