N Korea Locks Down Capital over ‘Respiratory Illness’

Wed Jan 25 2023
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Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD/SEOUL: North Korea has ordered a five-day lockdown of the capital due to a”respiratory disease,” marking what looks to be the first citywide restrictions since the nation claimed victory in August 2022 against Covid-19, according to a report released on Wednesday.

According to a government notification cited by the Seoul-based specialist site NK News, residents of Pyongyang have been ordered to remain inside their houses from Wednesday until Sunday and must submit to several temperature tests daily.

Rapidly spreading illness

The article stated that while the notification did not mention Covid, it identified the common cold as one of the illnesses rapidly spreading in the city.

According to sources in Pyongyang, the official announcement comes a day after NK News reported that residents of the city looked to be storing items in anticipation of a lockdown. The nature of any additional lockdowns is unknown, and state media has not reported any new regulations.

Experts Believe N Korea Likely to Deal with Reoccurrence of Covid

Experts said that the largest city in North Korea is likely to deal with the reoccurrence of Covid. “Covid is reappearing and disappearing on the temperature, not only in North Korea but globally,” said a researcher, Go Myong-Hyun.

The Korean peninsula is currently experiencing what meteorologists have dubbed a Siberian cold spell, with Pyongyang seeing lows of -22 degrees Celsius (-7.6 Fahrenheit).

Go told AFP that it was premature for North Korea to declare triumph over the virus because it had returned due to the recent drop in temperature. North Korea must have made some preparations for it, but it appears that the virus returned earlier than anticipated.

Experts say North Korea has one of the world’s worst healthcare systems, with poorly equipped hospitals, few intensive care units, and no Covid treatment drugs. It is not believed to have vaccinated any of its 25 million people, although reports indicate it may have received some vaccines from China.

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