New lab begins testing for virus

Facility with latest technology capable of handling 10,000 samples a day

A new lab for testing the novel coronavirus that has been causing an increasing number of deaths in Wuhan was put into use on Wednesday, within seven days of construction, and is expected to greatly facilitate diagnoses of the disease.

The lab, named Fire Eye, has a floor area of nearly 2,000 square meters and is capable of handling 10,000 samples a day, according to BGI, a leading Chinese company in life science.

It is equipped with the latest facilities and technology developed by the company for safe and highly efficient testing of the nucleic acid of the virus, the company said.