China has been extremely strict on making sure it sticks to its 'zero COVID-19' strategy but now health officials have taken it a step further by testing fish for the virus.
Videos have surfaced on social media of people swabbing the sea creatures to test for the virus before they are sold at local fish markets.
According to Daily Mail, officials swabbed the fish in the city of Xiamen. Authorities said it was necessary to test both the workers and the fish returning from sea after some fishers allegedly made illegal trades with overseas vessels whilst out at sea.
An employee at the Xiamen municipal ocean development bureau told local media: "At present, all people in Xiamen City need nucleic acid testing, and the fish catches must be tested as well."
Authorities started swabbing the fish for COVID-19 after the nearby island province of Hainan began experiencing a serious outbreak of the virus.
One person tweeted a video of a health official doing a PCR test on a fish and jabbing the swab down its throat.
The Twitter user shared the video with the caption: "Catch of the day! It doesn't matter if you're young or old, fish or crab - can't escape China's zero-COVID policy and the nucleic acid tests."
Many people thought the video was fake and was trying to reel people in hook, line and sinker.
One user said: "There is no way they are serious about this."
Another tweeted: "This gotta be satire, right?"
Due to China's strict 'zero COVID-19' strategy the country has been in multiple strict lockdowns to prevent the virus from spreading throughout the country.
Earlier this month, customers in Shanghai rushed out of an Ikea after guards tried to trap them in the store after a close contact of a positive case was shopping in the retail store.
There have been no reports of fish testing positive for COVID-19 or anywhere else in the world.
