Fishery products not a Covid-19 risk, officials say

Fishery products are not linked to the recent outbreak of Covid-19 across Thailand, officials said Friday, addressing concerns after a cluster was found around seafood processing centres.

“I would like to confirm that Thai fishery production has been operating with strict adherence to virus-prevention practices,” said Poj Aramwattananont, vice-chairman of the Board of Trade.

The latest cluster of Covid-19 cases in the fishery market of Samut Sakhon had raised concerns about the risk of contamination from consuming seafood products, both fresh and processed, he said.

But the main cause was migrant workers who are smuggled into the country and have been living in close quarters with the existing labour community, the vice-chairman said.

Earlier, the Samut Sakhon Chamber of Commerce forecast that the city’s lockdown due to a new surge in Covid-19 infections will cost the local economy around 16 billion baht in total, or 1.1 billion baht per day.

The situation across the country remains severe as it enters the New Year, said the Chamber. With more infections reported each day, this may further hit the province’s economy with losses as high as 2.2 million baht per day.

“If the situation doesn’t get better, it may affect the sentiment toward Thai fishery products in foreign markets,” it said.

The press release also included statements by the Thai Frozen Foods Association, Thai Tuna Industry Association, and Thai Food Processors’ Association, with assurances that both the public and private sectors in Samut Sakhon are cooperating to implement preventive measures in factories and other high-risk areas.

But they warned that customers should be aware of hygiene throughout the cooking process, starting from the careful selection of goods in a registered market, and should not consume undercooked meals.

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