Residents in Shenyang line up to get throat swabs in front of a mobile nucleic acid testing vehicle on Tuesday in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. A local hospital converted an ambulance into a sample collecting vehicle and deployed it onto the streets. (Photos: Chinanews.com)

Shenyang No.4 Renmin Hospital said its doctors came up with the idea when they noticed the surging demand for coronavirus tests, because a negative result is required for some travel or work documents.

The vehicle first hit the streets last weekend. It is the first of its kind in the city. The hospital said the apparatus onboard is connected to the hospital system, making it capable of delivering test results within 24 hours.

A local resident gets throat swabs in front of a mobile nucleic acid testing vehicle on Tuesday in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

A local resident gets throat swabs in front of a mobile nucleic acid testing vehicle on Tuesday in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province.