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Hong Kong (CNN) -
Beijing authorities have ordered importers to avoid frozen foods from countries suffering from severe coronavirus outbreaks after several incidents with imported seafood testing positive for the virus.
According to a statement from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Office, "Customs and local governments have repeatedly detected coronavirus in imported food from the cold chain, demonstrating that there is a risk of contamination."
The Office urged importers to closely monitor the pandemic situation around the world and "take the initiative to avoid importing cold chain food from areas severely affected by the pandemic."
Companies are also instructed to improve their notification and warning mechanisms, and to inform authorities quickly if products test positive.
Health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the possibility of contracting the coronavirus through the food is low.
But China, which has largely eliminated domestic transmission of the virus, is on high alert for possible recontamination.
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China detects frozen food with covid-19 1:18
China suspended imports over coronavirus concern
In June, China suspended poultry imports from a Tyson Foods plant in the United States due to concerns about a coronavirus outbreak at the facility.
Last month, a batch of frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil tested positive for coronavirus in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
This was just one of multiple incidents in which the virus was detected in food products.
Those incidents prompted increased control of imported food across the country and increased scrutiny of products from places severely affected by the pandemic, such as Brazil.
As of Sept. 7, China had suspended imports from dozens of food companies in at least 19 countries and regions where workers have been infected by coronavirus, according to state media.
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China takes precautionary measures
Last week, the Chinese General Administration of Customs announced "emergency precautionary measures" against a Norwegian company after a package of frozen seafood tested positive for the virus.
On Saturday, customs officials said that samples taken from the outer packaging of imported Russian aquatic products into Shandong province tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Chinese Customs said the internal packaging of a batch of frozen fish from Brazil also tested positive for the virus.
China's National Health Commission said on Monday there had been no new cases of locally transmitted viruses in the past 24 hours, and no new deaths related to the pandemic.
According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, there have been 90,483 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China and 4,739 deaths.
The vast majority of cases were detected in the early stages of the pandemic, with the number of new infections falling below 500 since early March.
