The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement yesterday that the samples of the internal packaging of a batch of frozen duck tongues imported from Poland has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but the infected products have been destroyed, so none were sold to local retail and wholesale markets.
The statement underlined that the bureau adopted a contingency plan by sealing and destroying the box of the frozen duck tongues that weighed 10 kilogrammes in total, after COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) showed positive, so none of the goods entered the market. Meanwhile, the statement added that the surrounding environment was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, while the personal data of the people who had touched the goods were sent to the health authorities for follow-up action.
The statement highlighted that since yesterday, the bureau has suspended all import applications for the Polish supplier for a week.
The bureau urged retailers and wholesalers to reinforce the disinfection of their imported goods’ external packaging, while urging residents to wash their hands after touching imported goods in order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
This undated handout picture provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows a worker wearing personal protection equipment (PPE) standing behind a dumpster containing the COVID-19 contaminated batch of duck tongues imported from Poland and ready for disposal.
