The quarantine camp is located on the outskirts of Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital of Hebei Province, which surrounds the capital Beijing.
China contained the spread of the virus largely, and a large part of the country returned to normal. A sudden rise in affairs have upset officials and expressed concern ahead of the country’s most important annual festival, during which hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel to visit family members.
Officials in Shijiazhuang, where the outbreak is centered, began mass tests and strict locks, and they moved entire villages into central quarantine facilities to limit the spread of the virus.
The new quarantine camp will house close contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients as authorities continue an extensive contact detection and testing program.
It was originally planned to house 3,000 people, but has since been expanded to a capacity of 4,160. More than 4,000 construction workers performed ‘six days and nights’ to complete the first phase, said Meng Xianghong, deputy mayor of Shijiazhuang, said Tuesday.
Authorities began construction on January 13 and the first section of the camp is now complete and ready for use, while construction continues into the second phase, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Each prefabricated room is expected to measure 18 square meters (approximately 194 square meters) and, according to CCTV, has an en-suite bathroom and shower, desks, chairs, beds, Wi-Fi and a television set.
Last Wednesday, a patient died in Hebei – the country’s first Covid-19 death in 242 days.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases on mainland China now stands at 88,557, while the official death toll is 4,635.
In an effort to curb the outbreak, authorities shut down Shijiazhuang on January 8, with all 11 million residents barred from leaving the city.
More than 20,000 civilians from 12 villages in Shijiangzhuang have since been relocated to other quarantine sites as a precautionary measure, Chinese state media CGTN reported last week.
To date, more than 17 million people have been tested in Hebei, with authorities currently conducting a second round of mass tests in Shijiazhuang and the cities of Xingtai and Langfang.
Hebei authorities are urging residents to stay home, with officials being sent to urban and rural areas to enforce measures and ensure people do not travel through the province and to Beijing.
In response to the alleged threat, Beijing authorities intensified efforts and selection efforts after cases were confirmed in the capital’s outer Daxing district, and announced on Wednesday that they would close two nearby subway stations until further notice.