China's daily nucleic acid testing capacity tops 3 mln: official

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China currently can offer 3.78 million nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 every day, a 200-percent increase from March, a health official said Wednesday.

As of Monday, Chinese medical institutions had conducted 90.41 million nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 in total, said Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC).

The total number of designated centers offering nucleic acid tests has increased from 2,081 in early March to the current 4,804, marking a 131-percent increase, Guo noted, adding that 28,500 technicians are engaged in nucleic acid testing.

In order to improve nucleic acid testing capacity in various regions, the NHC initiated an online training program to cultivate relevant professionals on June 15, said He Qinghua, an official with the NHC.

A total of 360,000 people across the country have received such training by Wednesday noon, He noted, adding that the health authorities of provincial-level regions should offer hands-on training for those who have finished online courses.