Angola signs deal for five Chinese-built laboratories to boost COVID-19 detection

Angolan government has signed a deal with China Shenzhen BGI group on an online contract signing ceremony for the construction of five Chinese-built laboratories to boost its COVID-19 detection capacity, according to a news report by CGTN Africa.

Angola will entrust BGI with the construction of five Huoyan, or Fire Eye, laboratories for the detection of novel coronavirus across the country, with a total daily detection capacity of 6,000 samples.

Angola’s Foreign Minister, Tete Antonio said at the event that the agreement signed will not only bring Angola to the necessary virus detection capacity but will also give Angolan cadres the opportunity to learn advanced techniques.

Angola’s Minister of Health, Silvia Lutucuta has said that she thanks China for providing assistance in fighting the epidemic, adding that Angola and other countries in the world have learned a lot from China’s experience in fighting the epidemic.

"Detection capacity is the basis for the formulation of prevention and control policies, and Angola needs to continue to improve large-scale detection capabilities. Angola decided to entrust the Chinese company BGI with the construction of 5 laboratories, which will create a new period of opportunity to prevent and control the epidemic, " she said.

According to Yang Huanming, co-founder of the BGI group and chairman of the BGI Board Gene, the BGI Huoyan laboratory has played an important role in the practice of anti-epidemic diseases in China and around the world and has proven to be very effective.

"More than 20 countries and regions have started or are in negotiations with more than 70 Huoyan laboratories, with the total daily test volume expected to exceed 300,000 tests. Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, the Philippines, Gabon, and other countries have been put in place," he said.