Beijing (AP) – A large quarantine center with more than 4,000 rooms is being built in northern China in response to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Shijiazhuang, a city of more than 10 million people in Hebei province.
Satellite images from the European Space Agency show dramatic changes over 10 days in an area where there was only flat terrain before construction began on January 13.
Rows of prefabricated houses can be seen. The official People’s Daily newspaper said more than 600 rooms were ready by January 19. Another 3,600 must be added by the time of completion.
Construction and material workers were sent from across the country to help build the center, state media reported. It is a common practice for China to mobilize resources across the country to tackle natural disasters and other crises.
Last year, two hospitals, Huoshenshan and Leishenshan, were built in a few days to treat patients with COVID-19 in the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected.
China has largely controlled the domestic spread of the virus, but is battling outbreaks this winter in its icy north. The National Health Commission reported on Monday 145 new cases in the past 24 hours, including 11 in Hubei province.
The quarantine center was designed to host people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients. Each room, for one person only, is 18 square meters (190 square feet) and comes with bedding, a table, air conditioning, television and Wi-Fi, China News Service reported.
It is in Zhengding County, a suburban area in northern Shijiazhuang. The city, the capital of Hebei, is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southwest of Beijing.
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Associated Press news assistant Caroline Chen contributed to this report.