Uruguay's government has refuted claims by China's Wuhan Epidemiological Control Center that a batch of Uruguayan frozen beef, which was stored in Wuhan since March and tested positive for covid-19, was contaminated at source. The government maintains that the production date of the batch predates the first reported cases of covid-19 in Uruguay. The government also assured that there are no confirmed cases of the virus in any of the country's meat industry establishments. The government stressed the commitment to maintaining safety, traceability, and sanitary controls in the production chain, and expressed the importance of cooperation to overcome the pandemic.