Amid virus resurgence, Guangdong warns of more sporadic patients

Following a resurgence of domestic coronavirus infections in Guangdong province, the provincial health commission warned local residents of sporadic cases, state media reports.
The Health Commission of Guangdong Province said Sunday that despite the still-severe virus situation, demand for overseas economic and trade exchanges has increased greatly, with inbound flights becoming more frequent, which poses a great threat to Guangdong.
Local prevention and control measures still face grave and complicated challenges amid the pandemic that has spread across the world, the authority noted.
Risks of imported cases and domestic medium- and high-risk areas should not be overlooked, the provincial health commission stressed. It cited examples of foreign crew from cargo ships docking at Guangdong who tested positive, and reiterated domestic resurgence caused by group gatherings. 
The authority said weak links in closed-loop management need to be strengthened, with strict tracking and health status checks applied to cross-border truck drivers, after a Hong Kong truck driver tested positive in Shenzhen, Guangdong in late July. 
Concerns over the safety of frozen food products have risen sharply, as one locally transmitted patient and five asymptomatic patients were reported in Shenzhen on Friday, all of which related to a national chain grocery store called Freshippo. 
Shenzhen detected the novel coronavirus on frozen chicken wings from Brazil on Thursday. 
"The priority for Guangdong is detecting the virus' origin," Wang Guangfa, a respiratory expert at Peking University First Hospital, told the Global Times on Sunday. "Whether the coronavirus comes from cold-chain supplies is the key to contain the spread of the virus, as in low temperatures it can survive longer than usual." 
Wang also said that since the new confirmed patient was found in a national chain store that distributes and sells products in some areas across the country, it is even more vital to detect the origin as fast as possible, and properly deal with the frozen food products in stock.
All 36 Freshippo chain stores and 12 related warehouses and processing companies in Guangdong have been inspected, including staff, products and the environment. However, no source had been detected as of Thursday evening, Chinese media outlet Caixin reported on Sunday.