China has discovered traces of SARS-CoV-2 virus in frozen meat produced by its companies. This is the first time frozen food packages of Chinese companies are reporting novel Coronavirus since in recent months it was only reported in products and containers arriving from abroad, linking them with the latest outbreaks of COVID-19 in other parts of the world.

Lai'an county in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui has reported positive samples of SARS-CoV-2 in packages of domestically-produced chicken drumsticks, something that until now was only said to be found in imported frozen food packages. As per the official Weibo account of the local government, it has conducted health tests on personnel of the production plant, but none are found to be infected with the virus.

Authorities also checked offices and other spaces in the facility, without detecting the virus either. The Coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, 2019, before spreading across China, and triggering a global pandemic. A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, China has effectively controlled the spread of COVID-19 within its borders, putting in place efficient lockdown and contact tracing measures and conducting mass testing for the virus for every small outbreak.

At the same time, Beijing, battling global criticism, has been trying to change the virus-origin theory and trying to shift the blame outside. As per the Chinese State machinery including media, the origin could be Italy, the US and the US military, the Indian subcontinent or imported frozen food packages. China had temporarily banned the import of frozen food packets from many countries including India. A Chinese study claiming virus origin to be Indian sub-continent had to be withdrawn within days of its release after being criticized.