North Korea claims it has no more fever patients
(Picture: AP)Officials in North Korea have claimed all the country’s citizens who fell sick since its first Covid case was reported have recovered.
According to information from the state emergency “anti-epidemic headquarters”, no new fever cases were reported from 6pm on August 3 to 6pm on August 4 throughout the country, state media KCNA reports.
It’s the first time the nation has made such a claim since its first case was reported in May 2022.
The reclusive state has never confirmed how many people have tested positive for the virus, but it said around 4.77 million fever patients have fully recovered and 74 died since late April.
The state has reported no new fever cases since July 30.
Instead of claiming a victory or an end to the pandemic, North Korea said it’s “anti-epidemic situation ... has entered a definite phase of stability”.
It said it would “redouble efforts to maintain perfection in the execution of state anti-epidemic policies and measures and integrally carry out the work to further tighten (its) anti-epidemic system.”
Such work would include strengthened monitoring of new Covid sub-variants and measures to quickly mobilise its medical workers in case of a crisis situation, according to KCNA.
A strict national lockdown was imposed after the first case was reported in North Korea’s capital Pyongyang on May 12.
The North Korean population is particularly vulnerable as the government reportedly declined to administer a Covid vaccine, rejecting supplies of the AstraZeneca jab from the international community as well as China’s Sinovac shots last year.
It was reported that state media recommended traditional treatments including having hot drinks and gargling salt water to overcome coronavirus.
