More than 5,800 medical workers have been sent from 18 provincial regions to assist Tibet autonomous region's fight against the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.

Li Dachuan, an official with the commission, said the commission and the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control have sent teams to guide the region's epidemic control and medical treatment immediately.

Tibet's lack of medical resources has become a more serious problem given the rapid increase of cases, he shared.

Working teams have also been sent to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to help it set up quarantine centers and makeshift hospitals, and to make sure all patients receive quick treatment and all possible cases and close contacts are quarantined in time, he said at a news conference.

Since 2015, the central government has started to offer assistance to the two regions, which has improved their medical capabilities, laying a solid foundation for their fight against the epidemic, he said.

Based on Tibet's demand, the provincial regions also dispatched lots of medical resources and equipment to the region, Li said.