China builds new coronavirus hospital on the boarder with Russia as cases rise

The field hospital in China (pictured on April 10) is ready to receive patients after being converted from an office building

Chinese workers in Suifenhe spent six days turning a 13-storey building into a 580-bed makeshift hospital dedicated to isolating asymptomatic patients imported from Russia.

According to the Daily Mail, Russia has become the largest hub of #Coronavirus cases for China and this has prompted authorities at the border region to set up a temporary lab that is carrying out close to 1,000 tests daily.

China is facing a fresh flare-up of #COVID19 cases on its north-eastern border with Russia, where the local population of around 70,000 people is facing a virus shed from at least 243 imported COVID-19 cases.

Today, Heilongjiang health officials reported 79 new 'imported cases' in the region, including 65 sufferers without symptoms.

The remote city in Heilongjiang Province went into full lockdown last Wednesday drailing efforts to the Coronavirus fight 2,600 kilometres away in Wuhan the former epicentre that saw its restrictions lifted on the same day.

Workers and volunteers in Suifenhe started to turn a former office building into a temporary 'fang cang' hospital on April 6. The project was largely complete on April 11.

Nine out of the 13 floors of the hospital will be dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients with no symptoms, China Central Television Station reported on Sunday. 

Workers and volunteers in Suifenhe started to turn a former office building into a temporary hospital on April 6 and on April 11, the project was complete.

Hundreds of medical workers will be sent to the hospital from different parts of Heilongjiang and other provinces.

Supported by 22 experts from the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hospital will conduct nucleic acid tests and other forms of research to aid in virus control and prevention.

Many Chinese live and work in Russia, where China has major investments encouraged by warm ties between Beijing and Moscow.

'We are facing a truly grave situation in the northeast as represented by Suifenhe,' National Health Commission expert Wang Bin said Monday at a news conference. 

China closed all entry and exit points on its 4,296-kilometre (2,670-mile) land border with Russia to stop the spread of the bug.