Tokayev urges to boost national COVID-19 testing capacity

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – The Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called for measures to be made to increase testing capacity, Kazinform correspondent reports.

During the meeting discussing the preparations for the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the President noted that 18 thousand COVID-19 tests are conducted on average each day, underscoring that it is possible to raise that number to 40-60 thousand. According to him, the country’s laboratories are operating at 40% capacity as well as there are major differences between the regions in terms of the number of tests conducted. Thus, as of October 5 less COVID-19 tests are conducted in Kyzylorda, Almaty regions as well as in Shymkent city compared to Atyrau, West Kazakhstan regions, where the number of COVID-19 tests conducted per 100,000 people is the highest.

The President went on to say that the highest daily number of COVID-19 tests conducted has been in June this year – 33 thousand.

Tokayev urged to boost national testing capacity and to address the issue of the costs of the tests, which range between 10 and 18 thousand tenge, speaking of them as high and unacceptable for the majority of the population.

The President tasked the government and the region’s administrations to address the issue of the affordability of the tests.