WATCH: China tests fishes, crabs for COVID-19 amid rise in cases

Over five million people in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen have been directed to get themselves tested for COVID-19 this week after a rise in cases.

However, the tests are not just limited to humans. The authorities have decided to test some forms of sealife as well, according to an official notice.

A notice was issued by the Xiamen's Jimei Maritime Pandemic Control district committee recently, according to which "both fishermen and their seafood must be tested" after the fishermen return to their ports, BBC reported.

A video, shared by South China Morning Post on Twitter, has been going viral and has triggered a number of reactions from the netizens.

The video shows the health workers giving live fish and crabs PCR tests for the virus.

The health workers could be seen wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and inserting swabs inside the mouths of fishes and crabs.

"Videos of pandemic medical workers giving live seafood PCR tests have gone viral on Chinese social media," said the caption.

The video received above three million views.

"Seems weird but oh well, there's no other way of knowing without testing. Everybody already knows the animal/human human/human transmission - don't think it would make the jump to marine life but weirder things have happened. So yeah, test away," wrote a user.

"Thought it was a joke. But in fact, it’s consistent with the ideological trap that’s led to cascading and insane misdirection of resources! Quite scary!" wrote another.

"Definition of insanity," wrote one of the users.