North Korean authorities have ordered a five-day confinement for Pyongyang residents starting Wednesday due to an increase in respiratory illnesses, the NK News portal has reported.
The North Korean government statement indicates that the diseases currently spreading include the common cold, although they do not mention the coronavirus. In this regard, citizens should stay at home and should undergo temperature checks.
However, according to these reports, it is not known whether other cities in the Asian country have also been or will be confined.
This announcement came a day after the aforementioned portal reported that residents of the North Korean capital were stocking up on goods after receiving an early warning of the city’s closure.
In early January, North Korean official media appealed for caution to «completely» prevent contagions, in a series of public messages that put Pyongyang on guard against a worsening health emergency stemming mainly from neighboring China.
The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, declared victory over the pandemic in August 2022, after months that the authorities themselves recognized as complicated and in which they even confirmed the first death due to the coronavirus.
However, Kim also urged the population to wear masks in November, two months after advocating a vaccination campaign aimed at increasing the level of immunization in a country that prevents any hint of external surveillance.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
