Norway says its salmon not source of Beijing virus outbreak

OSLO: Norway said on Wednesday that its salmon was not the source of the recently discovered outbreak of the new coronavirus in Beijing, after many Chinese restaurants and retailers stopped selling imports of the fish.

Norwegian salmon came under scrutiny in China after a recently discovered cluster of new coronavirus cases was reportedly traced to the Xinfadi meat market in Beijing and a chopping board used for cutting up imported salmon.

“The issue is being resolved. We're working out the details today,” said fisheries minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, quoted by TDN Finans.


Ingebrigtsen said Chinese and Norwegian officials had met on Tuesday and concluded that Norwegian salmon was unlikely to be the source of the virus detected last week at the Beijing market.

At least 137 people have been infected since last week in China’s capital, a resurgence of infections that has led to the lockdown of several neighbourhoods and the cancellation of more than a thousand flights. Major supermarket chains including Wumart and Carrefour removed all stocks of salmon in the capital, but said supplies of other products would not be affected, Beijing Daily reported Saturday.

Some Beijing restaurants were not serving any salmon last weekend, according to AFP reporters. Contacted by AFP, the Chinese embassy in Oslo did not provide any immediate comment. According to experts, salmon were most likely not the vector of the disease.