As infections surged in China in December, many cities transformed PCR testing booths into fever clinics and medicine distribution sites for sick residents. Now some local governments are creatively reconfiguring them into new landmarks. Suzhou, 100 kilometers west of Shanghai, has gone further to reanimate the booths than anywhere else. The local government offered around 30 empty kiosks for free to entrepreneurs to convert into food and souvenir stalls as part of a Lunar New Year market. Elsewhere in Suzhou, booths have become libraries for residents to read and donate books; rest stations for sanitation workers and cleaners, offering microwaves and hot water; mini fire stations stored with safety equipment; and employment help centers for migrant workers.

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