North Korea orders lockdown in capital Pyongyang after respiratory illness outbreak
- A government notice didn’t mention Covid-19, but said that residents in the city are required to stay in their homes through the end of Sunday
- Pyongyang residents were seen stocking up on goods in anticipation. It’s unclear if other areas of the country have imposed new lockdowns
The notice did not mention Covid-19, but said that residents in the city are required to stay in their homes through the end of Sunday and must submit to temperature checks multiple times each day, according to NK News, which monitors North Korea.
On Tuesday, the website reported that Pyongyang residents appeared to be stocking up on goods in anticipation of stricter measures. It is unclear if other areas of the country have imposed new lockdowns.
The secretive country never confirmed how many people caught Covid, apparently because it lacks the means to conduct widespread testing.
Instead, it reported daily numbers of patients with fever, a tally that rose to some 4.77 million, out of a population of about 25 million. But it has not reported such cases since July 29.
North Korea declares victory in battle against Covid-19
State media have continued to report on anti-pandemic measures to battle respiratory diseases, including the flu, but had yet to report on the lockdown order.
Experts suggested that North Korea’s largest city is likely dealing with the re-emergence of Covid-19.
“Covid is disappearing and reappearing depending on the temperature, not just in North Korea but around the world,” said Go Myong-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
It was quite premature for North Korea to celebrate its victory over the virus
The Korean peninsula is currently in the grip of what weather forecasters have described as a Siberian cold snap, with temperatures in Pyongyang dropping as low as -22 degrees Celsius (-7.6 Fahrenheit).
“It was quite premature for North Korea to celebrate its victory over the virus … with the drop in temperature, Covid has re-emerged,” Go said.
“North Korea must have prepared for it to some extent, but it seems that the virus reappeared a little sooner than they thought.”
North Korea’s neighbour and key trading partner China recently abandoned its zero-Covid policy, and battled a wave of infections that overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums.
US-China rivalry ‘hampering efforts to denuclearise Korean peninsula’
North Korea has maintained a rigid blockade since the start of the pandemic, but does allow some trade with China.
Experts, including the World Health Organization, have long questioned Pyongyang’s Covid statistics and claims to have brought the outbreak under control.
North Korea has one of the world’s worst healthcare systems, with poorly equipped hospitals, few intensive care units and no Covid treatment drugs, experts say.
It is not believed to have vaccinated any of its 25 million people, although reports indicate it may have received some vaccines from China.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
