China producing 60 million COVID-19 antigen test kits daily

Staff members work at a packaging workshop of a pharmaceutical company in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 19, 2022. (Photo by Zou Jingyi/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's daily output of antigen test kits has hit around 60 million units, as the country steps up output of anti-COVID-19 medical supplies.

The figures were shared by Huang Guo, deputy director of the National Medical Products Administration, at a press conference on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the production capacity of ibuprofen and paracetamol is also growing, with sufficient active pharmaceutical ingredients to meet domestic demand, said Huang.

China has also stepped up its crackdown on price gouging concerning medicines and other supplies related to COVID-19.

During the past two weeks, fines totaling approximately 2.58 million yuan (about 369,300 U.S. dollars) have been levied in 307 cases involving such illegal practices, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.