Realtime PCR COVID-19 tests at the Thai Nguyen National General Hospital (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese laboratories are now capable of testing 100,000 samples per day, said Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan at on online meeting on Friday with local health officials on COVID-19 testing. He said the capacity could be five or ten times higher in case of pool testing which means combining respiratory samples from five or ten people in one laboratory test to detect SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.

A World Health Organization Representative in Vietnam said he believes Vietnam is able to increase its testing if the pandemic worsens.