China Can Conduct 1.5 Mln COVID-19 Tests a Day: Health Official

Residents take the nucleic acid test at a testing post set up at a primary school in Dongxihu District in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 15, 2020.[Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu]

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) — China is able to conduct 1.5 million nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 every day. Testing capabilities need to be further improved as work and production resume, said a Chinese health official Saturday at a press conference in Beijing.

The National Health Commission has called on all qualified and registered medical institutions across the country to conduct nucleic acid testing since the end of January to deal with the rapid growth of COVID-19 cases, said Guo Yanhong, an official with the commission.

The next step is to step up the building and management of laboratories, biosafety management and the training of medical personnel, said Guo. 

(Source: Xinhua)