Makeshift hospital built in border city

People returning from Russia become focus of virus treatment in Suifenhe

People with COVID-19 entering the country have become the focus of treatment for Suifenhe, a county-level city under Mudanjiang, bordering Russia in Heilongjiang province.

Yu Kaijiang, director of First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and head of the provincial medical team dispatched to Suifenhe, said at a news conference on Thursday that all patients would be sent to designated hospitals in Suifenhe and Mudanjiang, based on their conditions.

Suifenhe People's Hospital and an upcoming makeshift hospital in Suifenhe will receive asymptomatic patients. Others will be sent to Mudanjiang, including those in serious condition, according to Yu.

The makeshift hospital, which has been transformed from an office building and will have more than 600 beds, is expected to open on Saturday.

"Since March 31, 71 experts in hospital administration, disease control and prevention and clinical medicine have arrived in Suifenhe and Mudanjiang to provide medical aid," Yu said.

"More than 150 medical workers from Mudanjiang have begun work in Suifenhe. Medical teams from the province consisting of 1,000 experts in pneumology, intensive care and cardiology have been organized and will begin work if needed."

As of Wednesday, the province had a total of 127 confirmed imported cases, accounting for more than 11 percent of the imported cases recorded nationwide. And 123 of the cases－all Chinese citizens returning from Russia－had entered the Chinese mainland via the highway port of entry in Suifenhe, Ge Hong, deputy director of Heilongjiang Health Commission, said on Thursday.

"The 137 asymptomatic people came from Russia by the same route, presenting 89 percent of the 154 cases reported in the province. No local cases related to the imported patients were reported in the province," Ge said.

"From March 21 to April 9, there were 2,497 people who entered China via Suifenhe, including 579 Jilin residents. All the returnees have been placed under concentrated quarantine and received coronavirus tests."

Ge added that 72 Jilin residents who tested positive had been transferred by vehicles sent by the Jilin government on Wednesday.

The port of entry in Suifenhe has been closed since Tuesday, the provincial foreign affairs office said.

On Wednesday, the Chinese embassy in Moscow said all land ports on the border of China and Russia have been temporarily closed for travelers.

Wang Wenli, the mayor of Mudanjiang, said, "With the great support of Harbin Customs, the city's daily coronavirus testing capacity has improved to 600 from the previous 96."

Wang added that 4,200 hotel rooms have been prepared in Mudanjiang for quarantine.

The Heilongjiang Health Commission reported on Friday, that Thursday alone saw 28 new imported COVID-19 cases and 11 imported asymptomatic cases in the province. A case of local transmission and three local asymptomatic cases were also reported.