WUHAN, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province plans to convert three existing venues, including a gymnasium and an exhibition center, into hospitals to receive patients infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the headquarters for the epidemic control said late Monday.

The Hongshan Gymnasium, Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center and a cultural building complex dubbed "Wuhan Livingroom" will be turned into hospitals with a total of 3,400 beds, according to the headquarters.

The sites, located in the districts of Jianghan, Wuchang and Dongxihu, will take in patients with mild symptoms caused by the coronavirus.

The Hongshan Gymnasium in Wuhan city, central China's Hubei Province, has been turned into a temporary hospital to receive patients infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Feb. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

The hospitals will serve as temporary medical sites with functions of emergency treatment and clinical testing.

Conversion work started late Monday, and by Tuesday morning, hundreds of beds have been in place.

The city had previously planned two makeshift hospitals, Huoshenshan and Leishenshan, with 2,600 beds in total for the treatment of the patients infected with the virus. Huoshenshan has been completed, and Leishenshan is under construction.  ■