Nanjing: Local authorities said that an imported frozen food sample in east China's Jiangsu Province, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

According to the city's epidemic prevention and control office, the sample was taken from a batch of frozen sliced pig ears imported from the United States, as part of a regular screening before the entry of any imported frozen food into the city's cold storage warehouse.

None of the goods has been distributed into the local market. Local authorities have sealed and disinfected the food, and quarantined those who had contact with the tainted items, the Xinhua news agency reported.

China has stepped up efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 through imported foods. The Ministry of Transport released a guideline in November, to prevent the transmission of the virus through imported cold-chain foods in road and water transportation.

The State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 has also unveiled a plan to realise full-chain, closed-loop, traceable management of imported cold-chain foods.