Staff members salute the cured coronavirus patients who have finished a 14-day quarantine for medical observation at a rehabilitation center in Wuhan on March 10, 2020. -Xinhua/Xiong Qi
WUHAN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province, has closed all of its 16 public facility-turned temporary hospitals as the number of Covid-19 patients continues to drop in the city.
The hospitals were converted from public venues such as exhibition centers and gymnasiums in early February in an effort to treat patients with mild symptoms and isolate the source of infections amid strained medical resources.
By the closure of the last two hospitals Tuesday, the temporary hospitals in Wuhan have received a total of more than 12,000 patients, according to local authorities.
As nurse Yang Xiaoyan finished her last six-hour shift in the Jianghan temporary hospital, which was converted from an international exhibition center, she took many pictures with her colleagues at the public square outside the building.
Before the last batch of patients was discharged, she sang songs with them and encouraged them to keep positive in the quarantine sites.
"We've achieved a victory in this phase, and all the hard work has been worth it!" said Yang, who has been working in the hospital for more than 20 days.
