BEIJING?— Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was previously used to quarantine SARS patients in Beijing, saw its first patient of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) discharged after recovery on March 30.

The hospital, located in the city's northern suburb, was renovated and put into operation on March 16 for the screening and treatment of imported mild and common confirmed COVID-19 cases, suspected cases and those who need to be tested.

The hospital is operating smoothly and orderly. As of March 29, it received 2,002 people from overseas. A total of 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported from the hospital.

In the treatment and control of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which spread rapidly on the Chinese mainland in 2003, Beijing built Xiaotangshan Hospital, a temporary medical center, in just a week.

The hospital admitted one-seventh of the SARS patients in the country within two months.