Last May, after denying the existence of COVID in North Korea for more than 2 years, the highly secretive regime Ordered a Lockdown Over 1st Reported COVID Outbreak. While they would eventually reports more than 4 million `fever' cases, they declared victory over the virus last summer.
Last summer, the North Korean government also announced they were fighting an `acute enteric epidemic' in Haeju City located in South Hwanghae Province. While the working assumption this morning is this latest outbreak is COVID, we don't have confirmation of that.
The following VOA News report references additional statements by Russian diplomats stationed in Pyongyang.
North Korea Orders Lockdown in Capital After Spread of ‘Respiratory Illness’
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA —North Korean authorities have ordered a five-day lockdown in the capital, Pyongyang, amid an increase in unspecified respiratory illnesses, according to Russian diplomats and a Seoul-based news outlet.
NK News, a publication with sources in North Korea, first reported the lockdown, saying Pyongyang residents are required to stay in their homes and undergo mandatory temperature checks from Wednesday through Sunday.
A North Korean government notice announcing the lockdown did not mention COVID-19, NK News said. It is not clear whether the lockdown included areas beyond Pyongyang.
In a Facebook post, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang confirmed a “special anti-epidemic period” was declared in the city due to a recent spike in the seasonal flu and “other respiratory diseases.”
The Russian statement, which cited an order from North Korea’s State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command, said the lockdown would last through Sunday but could be extended for three more days, depending on the situation.
Date: 25/01/2023 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- Efforts have been redoubled to effectively check and contain the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases by steadily increasing the efficiency of the anti-epidemic work, true to the idea of the Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on constantly giving top-priority of the state affairs to the emergency anti-epidemic work and making it perfect this year, too.
All sectors and units are taking foresighted measures to increase the efficiency of anti-epidemic work while firmly maintaining the anti-epidemic atmosphere throughout society in order to cope with the daily-worsening world health crisis.
They are directing primary efforts to consolidating the anti-epidemic barrier and intensifying the medical examination and disinfection to prevent the outbreak and spread of viral respiratory diseases including influenza.
The State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters has made sure that anti-epidemic measures taken to suit seasonal conditions are carried into effect while putting the anti-epidemic work on a higher scientific level by specifying the regulations for anti-epidemic situation in every region and unit.
Emergency anti-epidemic units and preventive and curative organs at all levels concentrate their efforts on making sure that all processes and occasions of anti-epidemic work are based on high scientific accuracy and safety to cope with the seasonal conditions in which respiratory diseases can easily break out.
They also make it a daily routine to measure temperatures and sterilize hands of the people in crowed places and ensure the accuracy of medical examination by introducing rational methods suited to the constitutional characteristics of people and conditions. -0-
www.kcna.kp (Juche112.1.25.)
Given North Korea's penchant for secrecy, we may never know the full extent of COVID's impact in North Korea, but hopefully some details on this latest situation will emerge.
