The CGTN recently traced back the steps that China took in its fights against the spread of COVID-19. The report begins with the city of Wuhan a located in China’s Hubei Province with a population of 11 million residents, where the newly ongoing coronavirus was first identified. According to CGTN, Chinese authorities placed a lock down on Wuhan, in efforts to contain the disease on January 23.
“The first batch of medical teams from outside Hubei arrived on the Chinese New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, Chinese companies were ordered to build a 1,000-bed hospital within 10 days. Work on a second facility with 1,300 beds followed two days later. Since then, eight top Chinese scientists, including veteran respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan, have led research teams to guide disease control and treatment in Wuhan. After the total confirmed cases in Wuhan surpassed 5,000 in early February, Wuhan authorities began converting gymnasiums and exhibition centers into temporary hospitals to admit mild cases,” the report further says.
Medical staff continued to enter the city of Wuhan and on February 9, Wuhan’s airport “saw the arrival of 6,000 medical workers on a single day.” Moreover, the government called on 19 other provinces, municipalities and regions to send more medical staff to affected cities in Hubei and the Chinese Air Force sent in cargo planes carrying 1,400 army medics.
The report adds that the government has dispatched over 330 medical teams composed of 41,600 medics to the province. On the front line, over 3,000 medical workers have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 20 succumbed to the disease. “To plug a shortage of protective suits, masks and other medical supplies, Chinese manufacturers from various industries were mobilized, including those that normally make cars and cellphones. With the opening of two new special hospitals and 13 temporary facilities, as well as other quarantine sites, tens of thousands of new beds were added to accommodate more patients,” CGTN said.
