North Korea has reported 820,620 cases of Covid, including 42 deaths
Key Takeaways:
- As the impoverished country began its fourth day of a countrywide lockdown to contain the nation's first confirmed COVID-19 epidemic, North Korea announced the deaths of 42 people.
- According to the publication, at least 296,180 more people had developed fever symptoms as of Sunday, with 15 more deaths.
- North Korea is one of just two countries that has not yet begun a COVID immunisation campaign, according to the World Health Organization.
On Sunday, North Korea announced that 42 people had died as the impoverished country entered its fourth day of a national lockdown to contain the country's first documented COVID-19 epidemic.
North Korea's admission on Thursday that it is fighting an "explosive" COVID-19 epidemic has aroused fears that the virus could wipe out the country's health system, which is underfunded, has limited testing skills, and has no vaccine program.
The state news agency KCNA reported that Pyongyang was adopting "rapid state emergency measures" to combat the pandemic. Still, there was no indication that Pyongyang was willing to accept Western vaccine proposals.
"Since the morning of May 12, all provinces, cities, and counties in the country have been completely locked down, with working units, production units, and residential units closed off from one another, and all people have been subjected to a thorough and intensive examination," KCNA reported on Sunday.
The spread of COVID-19 had thrown North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un's country into "grave disarray," and he called for an all-out effort to stop the outbreak.
Despite the restrictions, Kim, as well as other senior officials, attended the funeral of Yang Hyong Sop, a former de facto leader of North Korea during Kim Jong Il's regime, according to KCNA.
According to KCNA, health officials put up extra epidemic prevention posts and rushed medical supplies to hospitals and clinics, while senior officials contributed reserve medicines.
People who were "careless in taking drugs due to a lack of information and comprehension of stealth Omicron variant virus infection sickness and its correct treatment approach," according to the research, were responsible for a "significant part" of the deaths.
As of Sunday, at least 296,180 more people have developed fever symptoms, with 15 more deaths, according to the outlet.
According to experts, North Korea appears to be unable to test the tens of thousands of symptomatic people. KCNA did not report the number of suspected cases that tested positive for COVID-19.
According to KCNA, North Korea has recorded 820,620 suspected cases, with 324,550 still being treated.
According to the World Health Organization, North Korea is one of only two countries that has yet to undertake a COVID immunization campaign.
Aid agencies say the country's self-imposed restrictions have reduced trade to a trickle and increased fears of food shortages or other hardships.