China's Hainan sees 5,794 confirmed COVID cases in August

HAIKOU -- South China's Hainan province registered 5,794 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7,969 asymptomatic ones between Aug. 1 and 17, local authorities said at a press briefing Thursday.

The proportion of cases found in community screening in the province continues to decline, and the epidemic situation is generally controllable, said the provincial COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters.

In Hainan's coastal resort city of Sanya, the number of new infections has risen for two consecutive days. The epidemic situation in some of Hainan's cities and counties, including Danzhou and Wanning, is still developing.

As of Wednesday, 12 makeshift hospitals with 22,291 beds have been set up in the province to cope with the latest COVID-19 resurgence.

Hainan has helped stranded visitors return home. By early Thursday morning, over 90,000 stranded visitors had left Sanya and the provincial capital Haikou by plane. Meanwhile, 5,740 stranded visitors left the province by ship.