Coronavirus found in China ice cream samples, thousands of boxes seized: Report

Coronavirus has been detected in some samples of ice cream in China, prompting authorities to seize the potentially contaminated products.

The reports of contamination first surfaced in the northern Tianjin municipality, Hindustan Times' sister publication Livehindustan reported. The batches of contaminated ice creams were manufactured by Tianjin Daqiaodao Food Company, according to Livehindustan.

The company had to destroy 2,089 boxes of the ice cream; authorities say around 4,836 boxes have been contaminated Livehindustan reported.

The health authorities are tracing the customers who bought the ice cream, they are being asked to submit their health details.

The Independent reported that over 1,600 employees of Tianjin Daqiaodao Food Company have been placed under quarantine and are being tested for Covid-19. Of them, the test results of 700 employees have come negative.

The authorities say that the coronavirus survived in ice cream because of the cold temperature. They believe the virus reached the ice cream through an infected person.

China, meanwhile, reported 109 new confirmed Covid-19 cases on Sunday, two-thirds of them in a northern province that abuts Beijing, and no deaths.

There were 72 new cases in Hebei province, where the government is building isolation hospitals with a total of 9,500 rooms to combat an upsurge in infections, according to the National Health Commission.

China had largely contained the virus that first was detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019 but has reported hundreds of new infections since December. The country's health commission on Saturday blamed them on travellers and imported goods it said brought the virus from abroad.

China's death toll stands at 4,653 out of 88,227 total cases.

(With inputs from agencies)