Authorities in Beijing are set to close a COVID-19 specialhospital after clearing all the cases even as China reported six newcoronavirus infections and 40 fresh asymptomatic cases, health officials saidon Tuesday.
The move to shut down the hospital comes after China’scoronavirus epicentre Wuhan recently closed 16 temporary hospitals anddischarged its last patient on Sunday.
Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing, which was used in 2003 toquarantine SARS patients, cleared all COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and isscheduled to cease operation on Wednesday, official media reported.
The temporary hospital, located in the city’s northernsuburb, was renovated and put into operation on March 16 for the screening andtreatment of imported mild and common confirmed COVID-19 cases, suspected casesand those who need to be tested.
It was built to treat SARS (Severe Acute RespiratorySyndrome) patients in 2003. At that time, the hospital was built in about aweek.
In all, Beijing had 593 coronavirus cases and nine deaths.According to officials, 536 patients have recovered after treatment.
Meanwhile, the country’s National Health Commission (NHC)said on Tuesday that six new confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which three wereimported, reported on Monday.
The other three new cases were domestically-transmitted inHeilongjiang province, the NHC said in its daily report.
The death toll in China from the coronavirus stands at4,633.
As of Monday, the overall confirmed cases in China reached82,836, including 648 patients who were still being treated and 77,555 peopledischarged from hospitals.
China’s imported cases increase 1,639, of which 552 werebeing treated with 21 in severe conditions.
Also on Monday, 40 new asymptomatic cases, including threefrom abroad, were reported in China.
So far 997 asymptomatic cases, including 130 from abroad,were still under medical observation, the NHC said.
Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, had 599asymptomatic cases under medical observation by Monday.
Asymptomatic cases refer to people who test positive for thecoronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. Theyare infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.