Xinjiang reports 18 new confirmed COVID-19 cases

 Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 18 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the regional health commission said Thursday.

   The 18 confirmed patients were all in the regional capital Urumqi, according to the commission.

   The region also registered 24 new asymptomatic cases, all in Urumqi, on Wednesday.

   By Wednesday, Xinjiang had 82 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 77 asymptomatic cases, and 3,284 people were still under medical observation.

   All the COVID-19 patients and asymptomatic carriers have been sent to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Sixth People's Hospital, an infectious disease hospital with 800 beds. The hospital in the northern suburb of Urumqi has stopped receiving non-COVID-19 patients.

   Song Yuxia, vice president of the hospital, told Xinhua that the hospital was designated to treat COVID-19 cases during the outbreak earlier this year. The hospital has kept "a state of preparedness" since its last COVID-19 patient was discharged on March 8.

   Currently, 55 experts from the region's medical institutions have stationed in the hospital. Under their guidance, the hospital implements the "one person, one therapy" strategy to treat the patients. Song said traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been integrated into the therapy.