A man pours a beer. Photo: VCG

The samples of the outer packaging of a batch of beer imported from the US have tested positive for COVID-19 in North China's Tianjin before they entered the market, with terminal disinfection being carried out and working staff and close contacts taking nucleic acid tests, local government said on Sunday.

The source country of the beer is the US. Between October 20, 2020 and January 6, 2021, they were shipped to Tianjin in batches and then transported to a logistics firm's warehouse in Ninghe district, Tianjin, according to a statement on the government's official Sina Weibo account.

When the authorities conducted nucleic acid tests on working staff, goods and the environment, they found two samples of the outer packaging of the beer tested positive for the COVID-19.

Local health authorities re-checked test results on Sunday and confirmed the positive.

By midday on Sunday, relevant beer stored in the warehouse had been sealed and terminal disinfection began, the statement said.

A total of 32 relevant staff and close contacts have taken nucleic acid tests, with 16 showing negative, while others are still waiting for results. Meanwhile, 1,066 people working in other companies in the park have taken nucleic acid tests and been quarantined at home.

Aside from imported beer, the inner packaging of a batch of imported cherries was found to be COVID-19 positive in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu Province on Friday, while samples of imported dried whey in Zaozhuang, East China's Shandong Province, also tested positive.

The Global Times reported on January 14 that three samples of ice cream made from New Zealand-sourced milk powder and Ukrainian dried whey tested positive for COVID-19 in a food company in Tianjin. The company has been cordoned off and tracking of the sold products is ongoing.