Updated: June 27, 2020

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ICYMI (Week of June 22-26)

• This week, the number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 9 million.

• Despite suspensions on imports into China due to discovering COVID-19 on food surfaces, it is important to remember that there remains no evidence to indicate that COVID-19 is transmitted through food!

  • While China has suspended some imports and increased COVID-19 surveillance for imports, the U.S. CDC, U.S. FDA, World Health Organization, European Food Safety Authority, and even China’s CDC reiterate that “there is no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 through food”. Read more here.

  • TAG further discusses the implications of COVID-19 food testing, “COVID-19 and Food: Contact but not Transmission,” which you can read here.

• This week, we begin TAG’s Q&A to answer questions that we frequently receive:

  • Question 1: I have employees who are taking vacations in other states where COVID-19 seems to be at higher risk. Do I need to have these workers quarantine for another 14 days after returning to keep other employees safe? Read more here.

  • Question 2: How is the U.S. doing with COVID-19 when compared with other countries, like Europe? Read here to find out more.

  • Question 3: With China’s increased testing of food and import restrictions, should we be concerned with COVID-19 transmission through food? Read more here!

  • Question 4: What should I be doing to ensure my facility is prepared for a COVID-19 health inspection? To find out, read more here.

• Pets are family; but what happens if pets get COVID-19? Read more in last Saturday’s Recommendations for Industry.

• It is summertime and people are ready to travel. Due to the increase in cases, some significant travel changes are happening:

  • As the European Union begins reopening borders, it is considering banning travel from the United States due to U.S. failures in controlling the spread of COVID-19. We also discuss the differences in today’s Recommendations for Industry, here.

    • Travel + Leisure has put together, “A Country-by-Country Guide to Europe’s Reopening” which you can read, here.

  • On Wednesday, June 24, the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut issued a travel advisory: anyone traveling to these states from a state with a high number of coronavirus cases is required to quarantine for 14 days. Although IDs are not currently being checked, anyone found to have violated this will be fined and put under mandatory quarantine. This advisory currently applies to Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah and Texas. Changes will be based on a 7-day rolling average.

• Due to the increasing rise of COVID-19 cases, some states have slowed down and/or paused their reopening efforts including Texas, Oregon, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Kansas.

• News From the CDC:

  • The CDC has also released a new Manufacturing Facility Assessment Toolkit that builds off its previously released guidance for manufacturing workers and employers.

  • The CDC, along with OSHA and FDA have also developed new guidance for Protecting Seafood Processing Workers from COVID-19.

  • The CDC has updated its coronavirus symptoms list to include: fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea 

• From the FDA:

  • The FDA has released a list of serological tests that should no longer be distributed for COVID-19. For the full list, please see here. If you are considering different types of serological tests, please make sure the tests you are using are not on this list!

  • The FDA has a new, easier-to-navigate web section dedicated to Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for Medical Devices as part of COVID-19. This resource provides information on EUAs.

• From the WHO:

  • With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise globally, the WHO has created a cartoon, starring Mr. Bean to support health messaging. Mr. Bean’s Essential COVID-19 Checklist reminds people about the “importance of washing hands, physical distancing, and demonstrating kindness to their neighbors.” See the video below or watch it on Youtube.

  • There have been questions regarding breastfeeding and COVID-19. Based on currently available evidence, the “WHO recommends that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged to initiate or continue to breastfeed.” Read more here. 

• Other COVID-19 news:

  • By using mini-organs, researchers are able to see, first-hand, how the coronavirus attacks the body. Read more on Nature, here. 

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