WUHAN, CHINA. (THECOUNT) — Liu Zhiming, the director of the leading Wuhan hospital at the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has died of the virus Tuesday.
Wuhan Municipal Health Commission confirmed that Zhiming, 51, died Tuesday at the age of 51.
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“Since the outbreak, Comrade Liu Zhiming, regardless of his personal safety, led the medical staff of Wuchang Hospital to fight the epidemic, and made important contributions to the prevention and control of new-type coronavirus pneumonia in our city,” the commission said in a statement.
Thousands of medical workers from across the country have been sent to Wuhan, which has been bearing the brunt of the epidemic, in recent weeks to help the overwhelmed local health authorities, reports NBCNews.
The Chinese government has also constructed two hospitals in a matter of days in the city to expand the capacity to handle a growing number of coronavirus patients.
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Geo quick facts: Wuhan, the sprawling capital of Central China’s Hubei province, is a commercial center divided by the Yangtze and Han rivers. The city contains many lakes and parks, including expansive, picturesque East Lake. Nearby, the Hubei Provincial Museum displays relics from the Warring States period, including the Marquis Yi of Zeng’s coffin and bronze musical bells from his 5th-century B.C. tomb – wikipedia.