Wuhan suspends 11 makeshift hospitals

Two makeshift hospitals were suspended Sunday in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province and the heart of the novel coronavirus outbreak, as the number of patients continued to drop, according to local authorities.

Medical workers from Jiangsu Province pose for a group photo in front of a makeshift hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 8, 2020. The makeshift hospital, converted from a sports venue, was announced close on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

The city has suspended the operation of 11 makeshift hospitals, which were converted from public facilities for the treatment of patients with mild symptoms in the city.

One of these two hospitals, converted from a sports venue, had 1,000 beds with more than 1,000 medical and other staff. A total of 1,056 patients had been treated here since Feb. 12, with no medical staff infected.

Another one, covering over 6,100 square meters, had treated 990 patients with 996 beds since Feb. 17.

The medical staff in these hospitals will be on standby.

The provincial health commission said earlier that Hubei will gradually shut down temporary hospitals and cut the number of hospitals designated for the disease while maintaining strict prevention and control measures.