Beijing ‘preparing 1,000-bed hospital’ to deal with spike in Covid cases

A worker in a protective suit sprays disinfectant as residents wearing face masks line up for mass coronavirus testing outside a residential complex on Tuesday May 3 2022 in Beijing (Andy Wong/AP)

Beijing is preparing new hospital facilities to deal with a spike in Covid-19 cases, even though the numbers of new cases remain low.

A 1,000-bed hospital at Xiaotangshan in the north-eastern suburbs built for the 2003 Sars outbreak has been refurbished in case it is needed, state media reported on Tuesday.