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Scene at the port of Xiamen: Swabs from fish mouths
Photo: iImaginechina-Tuchong / IMAGO
The coastal city of Xiamen appears to be taking China's zero-Covid policy very seriously.
In the metropolis on the south-east coast of the country, not only people but also fish have to undergo regular corona tests, as reported by the British “Guardian” and the Bloomberg news agency, citing local media and authorities.
This also affects the catch of commercial fishermen - which ultimately ends up on people's plates.
TV news reportedly showed officials swabbing fish mouths and the undersides of crabs.
A video is also circulating on social media that is supposed to show the corresponding sampling.
Illegal trade contacts by fishermen?
The local police justified the daily checks on the fish by saying that some fishermen had previously had illegal trading contacts with other ships at sea - "which led to the introduction of the corona virus," reported the "Guardian", citing the security authorities.
So far, there is apparently no evidence that traces of the corona virus have actually been detected in the fish.
According to experts, there is also no known corona infection in an aquatic animal.
This is probably one of the reasons why the action is hotly debated on social media.
According to the Guardian, many of the comments were sarcastic.
It has been proposed to include marine life in the health system and to quarantine fish from international waters for seven days.
In addition, despite numerous local outbreaks, the Chinese government is still trying to completely contain the spread of the virus - with the corresponding impairments to the economy and public life through lockdowns.
In the middle of the week, China reported almost 2,500 new infections per day, with around 1.4 billion inhabitants.
Apr