Wuhan is scrambling to turn sports stadiums and exhibition centers into makeshift coronavirus hospitals to fight the spread of the virus

• Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak that has killed 426 people and spread to over 20,000 people in more than two dozen countries, is scrambling to build makeshift shelter hospitals at civilian facilities.
• The city began transforming a local sports stadium, exhibition center, and cultural complex into medical facilities with as many as 3,400 beds late Monday, Chinese state media reported.
• These makeshift shelter hospitals will be used to provide emergency aid, treatment, and clinical examination services for patients with mild coronavirus symptoms.
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Still short on suitable medical facilities, Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, is scrambling to turn sports stadiums and other buildings into makeshift shelter hospitals.

Late Monday, the city began to turn Hongshan Gymnasium, the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, and a cultural complex known as the "Wuhan Living Room" into hospitals. These emergency care facilities will have around 3,400 beds in total, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wuhan panic-built Huoshenshan Hospital, a working hospital with 1,000 beds, in just 10 days, and another quickly constructed medical facility, Leishenshan Hospital with around 1,600 beds, is expected to open Wednesday at the earliest.

Wuhan has 46 hospitals and 61 suitable clinics available, but as the virus continues to spread, hitting the city hard, Hubei's provincial capital is in need of additional care facilities.

Chinese state-broadcaster CGTN reported that these shelter hospitals will be primarily used for "emergency aid, surgical treatment, and clinical examination." These facilities will be for individuals with mild coronavirus symptoms. The makeshift hospitals plan to begin receiving patients Tuesday evening.

As of Tuesday, the Wuhan coronavirus had killed 426 people and spread to more than 20,000 people in over two dozen different countries. The city of Wuhan, according to state media, has suffered 313 deaths with 6,380 cases of infection.

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