In early February, to alleviate shortage of beds in hospitals in Wuhan, epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, the authorities decided to convert public facilities such as conference venues and sports stadiums into temporary hospitals to accommodate COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms.

After just over a month, more than 12,000 patients have been cured in 16 such facilities, greatly easing the pressure on the local health system. On Tuesday, the last of the makeshift hospitals closed its doors after all patients had been discharged.