MGI has developed fast-testing equipment for detecting novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and partnered with Shanghai Tolo Botech to develop compatible test kits, which when combined will produce test results within an hour according to BGI, owner of MGI.

The majority of the process is automated, only requiring laboratory staff to insert samples and test kits into the machine, simple manual task that take just two minutes.

The development reduces exposure to the virus, virus spread and increases efficiency in addition to significantly reducing the time spent waiting on test results, according to BGI.

Additionally, Huo-Yan Laboratory in Dapeng New Area, covering an area of 800 square meters and operated by BGI, was officially put into use Friday.

It was said that the number of samples from Shenzhen tested by BGI had exceeded 10,000 as of Friday.

The laboratory, with a daily testing capacity of 10,000 samples, provides sufficient testing capabilities for diagnosing patients with fever, screening high-risk groups, identifying suspected and confirmed cases, and screening healthy people.

In addition to its lab in Shenzhen, Huo-Yan has already commenced work in six other cities, namely Wuhan, Tianjin, Changsha, Shijiazhuang, Beijing and Shanghai.

BGI has been designated by the National Health Commission as a third-party testing institution in charge of the screening and review work for nucleic acid testing for detecting COVID-19 in patients.

The COVID-19 nucleic acid test is said to be an essential tool for the clinical diagnosis and discharge of patients that helps ascertain which close contacts of COVID-19 patients should be quarantined and which should be released.