Premier Li Keqiang urged efforts to speed up development and research of nucleic acid testing products that can provide a rapid, highly sensitive and easily operated detection of COVID-19, during the State Council executive meeting on July 31.

"Scientific guidelines should be upheld in coordinating epidemic control and social, economic development." Premier Li said during the meeting.

"To prevent the COVID-19 virus, improving testing capabilities is essential apart from traditional methods such as wearing masks and keeping social distance," he said, adding that it is important for early diagnosis and efficient prevention and control of COVID-19.

The Premier required intensified training of testing staff, reasonable layout and greater flexibility in testing.

Under the premise of strengthening prevention of biosafety risks, work should be done to ensure nucleic acid testing capabilities in nationwide tertiary general hospitals, infectious disease hospitals, and disease control and prevention institutions at all levels, and one county-level hospital in each county, the Premier said, and asked related departments to strengthen funding support.