The state-backed "Beijing News" newspaper said yesterday that officials in the Chinese capital, Beijing, have started conducting DNA tests for food and parcel delivery personnel, as part of efforts to stop the outbreak of the Corona virus.
Officials have expanded tests across the city of 20 million people, since a series of new infections linked to a wholesale food market a week ago.
This marks the first outbreak of the virus in Beijing in months, and the numbers recorded during the previous peak in early February have now been surpassed.
The tests revealed the "Covid-19" in the first place on the residential areas near the market Shinvadi, which is located on a large area, and on workers and shoppers there.
Officials are now focusing on tens of thousands of order pickers who usually patrol the city with three-wheeled vehicles or motorbikes.
The newspaper said that workers at SF Express, the second largest parcel delivery company in China, had arrived in groups at test points in Beijing on Monday evening.
The food delivery company, "Mituan Dianping," confirmed the day before yesterday that all its workers in Beijing will be tested, and that those who delivered the services in high-risk areas will stop working temporarily, to conduct DNA testing and home insulation for 14 days.
The company said on its account on the site «WeChat», that customers will be able via the Internet to follow the details of the package free of infection and body temperature of the bearer.
"Beijing News" said that by next week, all workers in delivery services will be tested.