Beijing's Jingshen seafood market. File photo: VCG

 
Jingshen Seafood Market, one of Beijing’s largest seafood markets, announced on Tuesday it would close temporarily from Monday due to the current complex situation with the local Omicron outbreak. The market did not say when it would reopen. 

The operator of the market stated in an article posted on its official WeChat account that the market will offer vendors support and will solve relevant issues caused by the closure according to government policies. It also apologized to the vendors. 

“As one of the major exchange sites for seafood in Beijing, the closure of Jingshen Seafood Market will affect the operation of the local seafood market,” Fan Xubing, president of Beijing Seabridge Marketing, a cold-chain food importer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The market didn’t give the exact reason for the closure, but Fan said it might be linked to Covid-19 cases caused by imported seafood found in Tianjin Municipality, about 130 kilometers away from Beijing. 

Tianjin reported 28 confirmed cases as of Monday afternoon, and some of the cases were workers in a local cold-chain warehouse. Local public health authorities suggested that recent cases were connected to imported seafood, but that the current situation is under control.

“There have been no reports that Beijing’s latest round of the coronavirus outbreak was caused by cold-chain seafood, but relevant departments should take measures to prevent risks in the sector," Fan noted.