Topic: Hospital Construction

China began a rapid 10-day construction project for a 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan to address the escalating crisis. In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed the return of evacuees from Wuhan, noting that some refused testing due to human rights protections. The report highlights the first instances of asymptomatic transmission detected in Japanese evacuees.

The White House task force emphasizes transparency and the low risk to the American public while acknowledging likely person-to-person transmission. Meanwhile, reports from Wuhan describe the rapid construction of facilities that resemble prisons or shipping container cells rather than traditional hospitals. The hosts express skepticism regarding China's reported efforts and the true nature of these buildings.

China's rapid response to the coronavirus includes building a 1,000-bed hospital in ten days and a second 1,300-bed facility shortly after. Travel lockdowns have been imposed on 16 cities, affecting 50 million people, a population equivalent to New York and Texas combined. The U.S. government has begun evacuating consulate employees from Wuhan as cases spread to 13 countries, including France.