Chinese meat importers suggested exporters in countries with COVID-19 outbreaks to disinfect the outer packaging of products as well as the inner side of containers before sealing export products, the country’s top industry group stated.

“China has been importing a large quantity of meats this year, and has detected virus on the packaging of cold chain products many times, even as lots of disinfection has been done domestically. It should be better to handle this (virus control) at the meats exporting origins, and carry out disinfection at the production plants,” said Gao Guan, spokesman for the China Meat Association.

China has increased disinfection and virus testing on frozen food after it found coronavirus on imported products and packaging, Reuters reported.

The initiative was proposed to “ensure the safety of imported cold-chain food and boost consumers’ confidence in imported cold-chain products,” the statement said.

Reported cases have shown that contact with packaging contaminated with the deadly contagion might lead to human infection, said the Chinese association.

However, the World Health Organization stated the risk of catching COVID-19 from frozen food is low.

The Philippines government, in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF, will conduct the nationwide measles and polio supplemental immunization campaign next month.

In the Philippines, about 2.4 million children under the age of 5 are susceptible for measles.

The nationwide Measles Rubella-Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization campaign will be launched in two phases.

• Phase 1 will be conducted from 26 October to 25 November 2020

• Phase 2 will be conducted in February 2021