Chinese Officials Swab Freshly Caught Fish & Crabs For Covid-19 To Ensure Residents’ Safety

Officials In Xiamen, China, Swab Fish & Crabs Amidst Covid-19 Spike

As most of the world relaxes its Covid-19 measures, China continues to implement testing and lockdowns in full swing.

Recently, a spike in cases in the coastal city of Xiamen prompted Chinese officials to commence a mass-testing drive.

And while the city’s residents are on the list for tests, so are the abundant aquatic life residing in the waters at the city’s ports.

Videos of officials swabbing freshly-caught fish and crabs went viral on Chinese social media, and while this may seem odd, there is a reason behind the bizarre occurrence.

According to maritime officials in Xiamen, this procedure ensures that the city’s residents are safe amidst a worsening outbreak.

Swabbers thrust cotton swabs into fish mouths & scrub crab shells

CNN reports that authorities have ordered more than five million people to undergo Covid-19 testing in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen after some 65 cases were detected.

Xiamen’s Jimei Maritime Pandemic Control district committee even issued a notice saying that all “fishermen and their catch” must be tested.

With the new ruling in effect, videos of people swabbing fish and other sea life made their way onto Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.

A video by South China Morning Post (SCMP) shows an instance of that, as human hands shove cotton swabs down the throats of different fishes.

They also swabbed the shells of live crabs, giving the crustacean’s exterior a good scrubbing.

Not the first swab tests on sea creatures

Though seemingly bizarre, the testing of sea life is apparently not unique to Xiamen.

According to the BBC,  the Xiamen Municipal Oceanic Development Bureau had followed in Hainan’s footsteps, another coastal city witnessing a severe Covid-19 outbreak.

After recording over 14,000 cases since the start of August, Hainan authorities linked the rise o the local fishing community.

They allegedly suspect workers of contracting the virus during operations as they work in supply chains.

As of the time of writing, it remains unclear whether the fishing communities and sea creatures caused any outbreaks.

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Featured image adapted from @rachel_cheung1 on Twitter and Twitter.