China Is Building a 1,000-Bed Hospital in 6 Days to Deal With the Coronavirus Outbreak

The quarantined city's existing hospitals are overwhelmed. They're turning away patients with symptoms and are using social media to appeal for medical supplies.

Authorities in Wuhan began building a 1000-bed hospital to deal with the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday night, and say it will be finished in just six days.

The rapid construction project is a reaction to the unraveling situation in the central Chinese city, which has been closed off from the outside. Hospitals are running out of beds and medical supplies, while patients presenting with coronavirus symptoms have been turned away. The situation has led to growing criticism for the slow reaction to the crisis by authorities in Wuhan and in Beijing.

The virus has now killed 26 people and infected 830 worldwide.

Work began on the new hospital — which will effectively act as a quarantine center — in the Caidian district of Wuhan on Thursday night, Chinese state media reported. Officials and those working on the construction project say the hospital will be ready to receive patients by the middle of next week.

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