MAPUTO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Minister of Health of Mozambique, Armindo Tiago, inaugurated Thursday another laboratory for the analysis and detection of the novel coronavirus in the country's northern province of Nampula.
Until the inauguration, the country has only one laboratory that is capable of testing for the coronavirus, belonging to the National Institute of Health located in Maputo.
The move is part of the government's efforts to contain the pandemic and is expected to speed up the testing process and reduce the time needed to provide results, said the Health Minister during the inauguration.
"The inauguration and entry into operation of this laboratory is an important step towards our objectives in terms of increasing the testing capacity for COVID-19," said Tiago.
Health authorities are said to extend the laboratory services for the diagnosis of COVID-19 to provinces of Cabo Delgado, Zambezia and Tete in the coming months.
Tiago said that with greater testing capacity, the numbers could increase in the coming days.
As the most populous province and with its capital city entering the phase of community transmission, Nampula currently has the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Enditem
