Delivery services suspended in Hebei cities over new COVID case

Express delivery services in three parts of Hebei province were suspended after a staff member at a local online shopping company was diagnosed with COVID-19. The surfaces of some outgoing packages were examined and found to be contaminated.

All delivery services, both in and out, have been been suspended in the cities of Jinzhou and Xinji and in Shenze county, a courier said.

The cities of Botou and Hejian, plus Xianxian county, issued an emergency notice asking all companies to seal and disinfect parcels from the online shopping company, Haohui Store in Jinzhou, acquired since October 18, according to media reports.

Government departments are investigating the case and introducing measures to help contain the coronavirus. 

Many express delivery centers across the country have been ordered to seal and disinfect packages from Haohui Store, while the couriers and others who have had contact report their health condition. Those people are being isolated for further medical observation and testing, Qilu Evening News reported.

Delivery of packages from Haohui Store have been reported in Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Gansu and Hunan provinces and in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, affecting many local couriers, package receivers and contacts in recent weeks.

Wang Xin, a resident of Jinan, Shandong province, said he was relieved when members of his family were tested and found negative on Wednesday. The family had been isolated for a week after Wang received a package from Haohui Store. He had purchased garments for his daughter late last month.

Zhao Xiaosong, another Jinan resident, was also isolated for a week after receiving a package from the store.

Wang and Zhao are among many nationwide who have been quarantined after making purchases online from Haohui.

Thursday is 11/11, or Singles Day, which is usually the biggest online shopping festival on the Chinese mainland. Many online stores offer big discounts to attract buyers on that day.