Ammon News -

The Ministry of Health on Saturday received a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system that can handle more than 1,300 coronavirus tests a day amid a sustained rise in daily cases and tests.

Minister of Health Natheer Obeidat said that the machine, which was supplied under support from the EU and in coordination with the World Health Organization, can process a large number of tests, which will help inform timely decision-making.

The Cobas 6800 system by Swiss healthcare giant Roche is a fully automated PCR testing solution, which can run up to 864 results from an eight-hour shift, and up to 1,440 results in 24-hours.

During a meeting with PCR professionals at the ministry of health’s central laboratories, Obeidat urged the workers to stay vigilant and ensure adherence to test and sample management protocols.

Director of the Central Laboratories Department Mahmoud Ghazo said ministry-run central laboratories in Amman now work at a maximum capacity of 15,000 daily tests, indicating that daily tests will see an additional increase over the next few days across the Kingdom.