(Yicai Global) Jan. 26 -- Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group has shut down a chicken processing factory it operates in northeastern Heilongjiang province after 10 employees tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

All raw and cooked chicken products produced by Heilongjiang Chia Tai Enterprise since Jan. 1 will be removed from store shelves and tested for Covid-19, local market regulatory authorities said. Some 92,786 samples had been taken as of yesterday, nine of which have come back positive so far, all of which were from Heilongjiang, the Bangkok-based company said yesterday. The source of the outbreak is not yet known.

Harbin-based Chia Tai is the only unit of CP Group, which is one of the biggest and earliest foreign investors in China and runs over 200 businesses in the country, in Heilongjiang. Other subordinate food subsidiaries have not been affected by the outbreak and production continues as normal, the firm said.

CP Food’s online stores on Alibaba Group Holding’s Tmall and JD.com have been quick to post messages saying, “There are no products from Heilongjiang in our store. Please feel free to buy.”

Editor: Kim Taylor