Testing labs expand; benefits are international
China Daily
1593783218000

Staff members work at the Huo-Yan Nucleic Acid Testing Laboratory in Beijing on June 23, 2020. It is a mobile, automated, high-throughput nucleic acid testing laboratory that can meet the daily testing needs of up to 30,000 people. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 70 virus testing laboratories in more than 20 coun-tries and regions have been launched, or soon will be, to help with the international fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese genomics sequencing company BGI Group said on Thursday.

The Huo-Yan laboratories are capable of testing more than 300,000 samples daily, significantly enhancing the testing capabil-ities in those countries as the coronavirus continues to rage across the globe.

The Shenzhen company said it has so far dispatched more than 100 personnel overseas.

"We have been taking a very open attitude in this global coop-eration. By bringing our most advanced technologies and years of experience in the field to other countries, we hope to help them improve their public health infrastructure," said Li Ning, vice president of BGI Group.

"In this sense, we are not only playing a role in helping them combat the coronavirus pandemic but also in helping them pro-mote their public health system."

Domestically, Huo-Yan laboratories are operating in 13 major cities, including Beijing, Wuhan, Shenzhen and Tianjin, with a daily testing capacity of 160,000 samples.

In Beijing, where more than 300 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed since June, 1 million people have been tested for the vi-rus with the help of the laboratories, BGI said.