Two new Wuhan hospitals announce opening dates

Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital, emergency specialty hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei province built to combat and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, will start to accept patients on Feb 3 and 6 respectively, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang said on Friday night.

The two hospitals will be ready and handed over on the evening of Feb 2 and 5, Zhou said during a daily press conference at Wuhan, the center of the novel coronavirus epidemic

Huoshenshan Hospital, with a total building area of 34,000 square meters, will provide 1,000 beds, while Leishenshan will provide around 1,500.

Ma Guoqiang, Party chief of Wuhan, said in an interview with China Central Television on Friday night the two hospitals have the ability to treat patients in serious condition, and the operation of the two hospitals can greatly relieve existing treatment pressures.

As of midnight Jan 30, Wuhan has confirmed 2,639 cases, including 103 who have recovered and been discharged from hospital, and 159 deaths.

At present, there are more than 60,000 medical personnel actively fighting the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. A total of 42 medical teams from outside the city are supporting Wuhan, with 4,599 medical personnel.