North Korea reports 6 dead amid 'explosive' spread of Covid-19 cases

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• May 13, 2022 | Dhupali Das

According to the KCNA report, there were six Covid-19 deaths, one of which was linked to the Omicron variety.

Digital Desk: North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, officially cited flaws in the country's virus control and prevention system after six individuals died from Covid-19 and symptoms of fever were freshly recorded among more than 18,000 people nationwide the previous day.

Notably, North Korea has so far refused to receive millions of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine offered in the COVAX worldwide distribution programme, claiming to be coronavirus-free after imposing tight border controls against the pandemic for the past two years.

"On May 12, over 18,000 people were detected with fever across the country. As of today, up to 187,800 people are being isolated and treated," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

According to the KCNA report, there were six Covid-19 deaths, one of which was linked to the Omicron variety.

The declaration came a day after Pyongyang recognised a coronavirus outbreak in the restricted nation and activated a "high emergency" antivirus system.

An unexplained fever has been spreading "explosively" across the North, infecting 350,000 people since late April, KCNA reports said. 

It also stated that 162,200 patients had received complete treatment so far.

Meanwhile, the North's leader reviewed the state's emergency epidemic prevention centre on Thursday, KCNA reports said. 

Kim "criticised" a failure to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during his visit.

He was cited as saying, "The simultaneous spread of fever with the capital area as a centre suggests that there is a vulnerable point in the pandemic prevention system."

He urged all provinces, towns, and counties to close their borders to prevent the "deadly virus" from spreading anymore.

Moreover, Kim also asked public health officials to closely monitor all patients with fever symptoms, develop scientific treatment procedures, and boost the country's medicine-supply measures.

"The most significant issue and the greatest task before our Party is to quickly overturn the immediate public health crisis scenario, restore pandemic control security, and save our people's overall health," he stated.

Notably, Kim appeared in public for the first time wearing a mask for an emergency politburo meeting.