'Severe' hospital bed shortage at China virus epicentre: officials

Authorities in China warned they faced a severe shortage of hospital beds and equipment needed to treat a growing number of patients stricken by the new coronavirus, as the death toll passed 560 on Thursday and cities far from the epicentre tightened their defences. Despite authorities building a hospital from scratch and converting public buildings to accommodate thousands of extra patients, there was still a "severe" lack of beds, said Hu Lishan, an official in Wuhan, the quarantined city where the virus first appeared -- and where doctors are now overwhelmed with cases. A growing number of cities have imposed a range of restrictions far from Hubei, as authorities battle to contain the virus.

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