Covid 19 coronavirus: Virus found in China on squid packaging imported from Russia

Authorities in China have reportedly detected coronavirus on the packaging of squid imported from Russia.

Health authorities in Fuyu, in the northeastern Jilin province, made the announcement on the city's official WeChat account on Sunday, Reuters reports.

The Fuyu health office urged anyone who may have bought the squid at the local Sanjia Deda frozen seafood wholesale shop between August 24 and 31 to get tested for Covid-19.

It said one of the packages arrived via the provincial capital Changchun, where the local Covid-19 prevention office said the squid had been imported from Russia by a company in Hunchun city.

According to Reuters, Chinese customs officials on Friday vowed to suspend imports from companies for a week if frozen food products tested positive for coronavirus, with month-long bans after three or more positive tests.

It comes after local authorities in two Chinese cities last month said they had found traces of Covid-19 on imported frozen food.

In one case, a warning was issued after a sample taken from frozen chicken wings that had arrived in Shenzhen from Brazil were reportedly found to have been contaminated.

Similar concerns were raised in New Zealand about frozen food possibly being responsible for the nation's second wave.

To date, however there appears to be no credible evidence of the virus being transmitted via food packaging, the World Health Organisation said last month.