"Touching Korean Clothes Causes COVID-19 Infection... Buyers Urged to Get Tested," Absurd Claim from China

Recommendation to Refrain from Importing Korean Clothing

COVID-19 vaccination site in China.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Local governments in China are pointing to 'Korean imported clothing and goods' as sources of COVID-19 infection.

On the 17th, according to Chinese media Zhongguo Xinwen Wang, the epidemic prevention authorities of Changnan County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, issued a "Notice on Disinfection of Imported Goods" on the 8th. The notice stated, "Among the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lingxi, Changnan, Zhejiang Province, there have been cases involving contact with Korean imported clothing," and added, "To strengthen COVID-19 prevention for imported goods, disinfection will be carried out on items purchased by individuals, companies, and stores."

In fact, when searching for 'Korean imported clothing' on the Chinese portal Baidu, related search terms such as 'epidemic situation (疫情)' and 'Is there COVID-19 on Korean imported clothing?' appear.

Earlier, on the 7th, the authorities of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, also advised through their official WeChat account, "It is known that a recent COVID-19 case in Hangzhou City was infected through foreign imported clothing," and recommended, "Citizens should avoid purchasing non-essential imported goods."

The Shaoxing City authorities specifically cited "clothing or goods imported from Korea, where the COVID-19 situation is particularly severe," as examples of items to refrain from importing. They stated, "Anyone who has recently purchased imported goods, especially clothing imported from Korea, must visit a screening clinic and undergo a COVID-19 nucleic acid test."

The COVID-19 Prevention Command of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, also issued a similar notice. In a notice titled "Hangzhou March 5 COVID-19 Outbreak, Letter to Persons Related to Korean Imported Clothing," the Hangzhou epidemic prevention command stated, "Related persons, clothing, and sites are being quarantined, and PCR testing and disinfection are underway," adding, "Out of 55 Korean imported clothing items, 51 have been discarded, and the remaining 4 sold items are being tested. Anyone who purchased Korean-made coats at Barbara Clothing in Anqing Guangcai Market between March 5 and 11, 2022, should report immediately."

Although the origin of COVID-19 has not been clearly identified to date, China has consistently claimed that COVID-19 was introduced through overseas mail or cargo. On the 15th, Chinese media China Daily even published a bizarre report claiming that "COVID-19 did not originate in Wuhan, China, but was caused by American lobsters imported into Wuhan."

Meanwhile, China is facing its greatest COVID-19 crisis since the "Wuhan incident" in 2020. According to the National Health Commission, as of the 15th, a total of 5,154 COVID-19 patients, including confirmed and asymptomatic cases, have been reported in China. This number is the second highest after 15,152 cases recorded on February 12, 2020.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.