China rushes medical supplies by air to Russia border as imported Covid-19 cases surge

By K J M Varma

Beijing, Apr 16 () China on Thursday rushed medics and medical supplies by air to two towns close to its border with Russia and built a mobile hospital as imported coronavirus cases surged following an exodus of Chinese nationals from the neighbouring country.

China has reported 46 new coronavirus cases, including 34 imported ones.

The authorities strengthened medical facilities in the country's northeast bordering Russia to stem a sudden flare-up of infections among Chinese nationals arriving from across the border.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily report on Thursday said 12 new cases of domestic transmission were reported, including five in Guangdong province, four in Heilongjiang Province and three in Beijing while no fresh cases were registered in epicentre Wuhan.

It said, 46 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland on Wednesday, of which 34 were imported taking the total number to 1,534 with 898 still undergoing treatment.

Also the increasing number of asymptomatic cases continue to be a major concern for Chinese health officials as 64 new asymptomatic cases were reported on Wednesday of which 61 of them local people.

According to Mi Feng spokesman of the NHC, 6,764 asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus infection, including 588 imported ones, were reported in China as of Tuesday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Hubei province, till recently the centre of the coronavirus outbreak in China, has sent medical supplies to the Heilongjiang province bordering Russia.

Three planes carrying medical protective suits, N95 masks and ventilators landed at the airports in the provincial capital of Harbin and the border city of Mudanjiang on Wednesday afternoon, Xinhua reported.

A "mobile hospital" was put into use in the city of Suifenhe near the Russian border. The hospital consists of a remote consultation vehicle and an X-ray vehicle.

Facing the mounting pressure of imported COVID-19 cases, Suifenhe also built a temporary hospital. The hospital, converted from an office building, will provide 600 beds for asymptomatic cases and patients with mild symptoms, the report said. KJV NSA