Tension Rises as Deaths Appear, Jung Seuja Jang... "Partial Completion of Quarantine Facilities"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] CNN and other media reported on the 20th (local time) that a temporary quarantine facility capable of accommodating more than 4,000 people has been partially completed in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, where the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is spreading.

The quarantine facility is located on the outskirts of Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, which surrounds Beijing and Tianjin. Initially, the facility was planned to accommodate about 3,000 people, but considering the rapid resurgence of COVID-19, the capacity was expanded to 4,160 people.

The Shijiazhuang city authorities began construction on the 13th, and the first section of the facility has been completed. According to China’s state-run media CCTV, the entire site covers 330,000 square meters, with each room measuring 18 cubic meters, equipped with indoor bathrooms with shower facilities, desks, chairs, beds, Wi-Fi, and TV.

Since the 11th, authorities have been relocating 20,000 residents from high-risk areas who were quarantining at home to the facility. Experts evaluate this as a measure considering that perfect isolation is not possible in local environments.

China had emphasized that the COVID-19 spread was under control and stable, but recently, with the emergence of variant viruses and asymptomatic infections, the number of patients has surged, creating a tense atmosphere.

Especially, COVID-19 is spreading mainly in Hebei Province and Heilongjiang Province, and a death has been reported for the first time in about 242 days. According to the National Health Commission of China, one COVID-19 patient died in Hebei Province on the 14th. This is the first COVID-19 death in China since May 16 last year, when a patient in Jilin Province was posthumously confirmed to have had COVID-19, about 242 days ago.

Authorities reported that, in addition to 103 newly confirmed infection cases, 58 asymptomatic infections have spread across four provinces. According to the National Health Commission, Hebei Province currently has a total of 818 local infection cases and more than 200 asymptomatic infection cases.

CNN stated, "Concerns are growing as infection cases spread in regions of China where the COVID-19 spread had previously subsided," adding, "Especially with the upcoming Spring Festival (Chun Jie, Chinese New Year) on February 12, which is expected to involve large-scale population movement, worries are increasing."

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China currently stands at 88,557, with an official death toll of 4,635.

Authorities locked down Shijiazhuang on the 8th to prevent the resurgence of COVID-19 and issued movement restrictions to 11 million residents. So far, more than 17 million people in Hebei Province have undergone COVID-19 testing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.