Premier Li Keqiang called for improving nucleic acid testing capabilities to expand the scale of testing during a meeting of the leading group on novel coronavirus prevention and control on April 22.

He required related departments to strengthen coordination to support efficient testing technology and increase production of accurate, efficient, easy-to-operate testing instruments.

Currently, many people are willing to pay for nucleic acid and antibody tests to quell their fears and worries, he said.

And, with more efficient testing instruments to be produced, hospitals, ports and other areas in need will be equipped and commercial tests will be increased.

Key groups should be thoroughly tested, and people returning to production should be tested if they want, Premier Li urged.

To realize overall work and production resumption under regular control, efforts should be sped up to improve testing capabilities and conduct nucleic acid and antibody tests on a large scale, he said.

Quick and accurate tests are essential for early discovery of COVID-19, targeted control, and reasonable population flows, he added.