“A fever whose cause could not be identified has spread throughout the nation since the end of April, only today (May 12), some 18,000 people have contracted a fever nationwide,” said the official KCNA agency.
The media also reported the death of six of these patients, “one of them diagnosed positive for the Ómicron subvariant BA.2” of the coronavirusreported the press.
Samples taken from several ill patients with fever in Pyongyang were “consistent” with the highly contagious variant Omicron of the coronavirus, indicated the official press agency.
Given this, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called an emergency meeting of his political bureau and announced the deployment of a “maximum emergency” Covid-19 control system to “eliminate the root in the shortest possible time.”
At the meeting, the North Korean dictator was shown wearing a mask for the first time.
Kim “called on all cities and townships across the country to carefully lock down their areas,” KCNA said. Factories, businesses and homes must be closed and reorganized to “immaculately block the spread of the malicious virus,” it added.
According to the agency, the dictator assured “that due to the high level of political awareness of the population, we will safely overcome the emergency and we will succeed with the emergency quarantine plan.”
It was not clear how many infections North Korea has detected, with opaque communication.
“For Pyongyang to publicly admit Omicron cases, the public health situation must be serious,” said Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Ewha University in Seoul.
Experts believe North Korea has not vaccinated any of its 25 million people. after rejecting dose offers from the World Health Organization (WHO), China Y Russia.
Analysts believe that North Korea’s failing health system would experience difficulties in dealing with a large Covid-19 outbreak.
North Korea is surrounded by countries that have faced or are still facing major outbreaks of the Omicron variant such as Korea of the South or China, where numerous cities have been under strict confinement for weeks.
Throughout the pandemic, North Korea had prided itself on its ability to keep the virus out of its borders. At a military parade in 2020, Kim effusively thanked citizens and the military for their efforts.
From January 3, 2020 to May 11 of this year, there was no confirmed infection or death from Covid-19 in the country, according to the World Health Organization.
Although state media have reported “epidemic prevention” measures, at a large military parade last month in the capital none of the thousands in attendance wore a mask.
The outbreak could slow the acceleration of the country’s weapons program, which has carried out 16 missile tests so far this year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Source: Ambito
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