Photo shows the "Falcon" air-inflated testing lab for COVID-19 nucleic acid testing in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu province, Oct 24, 2021. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After more than 20 hours of construction and debugging, the "Falcon" air-inflated laboratory for COVID-19 nucleic acid testing entered operation Sunday in Lanzhou, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province.

By Saturday, Gansu had logged 41 locally transmitted confirmed cases, part of a new wave of COVID-19 infections that has hit various regions in China.

The newly-built lab, with a daily maximum testing capacity of 80,000 tubes, or 800,000 people if using pool testing methods, will aid Lanzhou's second round of citywide testing, according to Shen Dongsheng, general director of the lab.