Makeshift hospitals set up to curb COVID outbreak in Jilin

Jilin province reported 895 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 266 asymptomatic carriers on Sunday, the provincial health commission reported on Monday.

Of the confirmed cases, 453 were found in Jilin city, 430 in Changchun, seven in Siping, four in Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture and one in Songyuan.

Of the asymptomatic carriers, 167 were identified in Jilin, 97 in Changchun and one each in Yanbian and Meihekou.

To help curb the spread of the epidemic in the province, Changchun and Jilin are accelerating the construction of makeshift hospitals.

In Changchun, the city's International Exhibition Center was prepared to operate as a hospital, Jiang Hongbo, deputy director of the Changchun health commission, said at a news conference on Sunday. It will have 1,000 beds for infected patients.

"Another makeshift hospital located at Changchun Tongyuan Hospital is being prepared," he said. "The number of beds will gradually increase to 4,000."

In Jilin city, three makeshift hospitals with 1,200 beds have been created for asymptomatic carriers and some confirmed patients with mild symptoms, according to the local government.

Another three makeshift hospitals with around 10,000 beds and a makeshift site with 6,000 spaces for quarantine are also under construction.