The outbreak of Covid-19 spreading rapidly in North Korea is a “major disaster” for the country, its leader Kim Jong-un said, according to state media.
Kim announced an all-out battle to tackle the spread of the virus during an emergency meeting.
The move comes after the first cases were confirmed, although experts believe the virus has probably been circulating for some time.
It fears that a major outbreak could have dire consequences in North Korea.
Its population of 25 millions, is vulnerable due to the lack of a vaccination program and a poor health system.
And on Saturday, state media reported that there has been half a million cases of unexplained fever in recent weeks. The country has a limited capacity to test for covid-19, so most cases are unconfirmed.
The figure marked a significant increase in numbers given a few days earlier, which could provide some indication of the scale of the outbreak in the country.
“The spread of the malignant epidemic is turmoil that has befallen our country since its founding,” Kim was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency.
He blamed the crisis on bureaucratic and medical incompetence, and suggested that lessons can be learned from the response of countries like China.
Kim Jong-un summons a covid response meeting on MayState media report what 27 people have died since April after suffering from fever.
Reports do not say if they tested positive by covid, apart from a death in the capital, Pyongyang, which was confirmed to be a case of the omicron variant.
The unprecedented acknowledgment marked the end of two years of claims of North Korea on being free of covid-25.
The secretive country rejected offers from the international community to supply millions of AstraZeneca and Chinese-made doses last year. Instead, he claimed that he had controlled covid-19 by sealing its borders in early January 2020.
The country shares land borders with South Korea and China, which have both struggled with heavy outbreaks. China is now struggling to contain a wave of omicron with lockdowns in its biggest cities.
At a meeting that outlined the new covid rules-19, Kim was seen wearing a face mask on TV .
Ordered “maximum emergency” virus checks, which appeared to include orders of local lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings at workplaces.
South Korea has said it offered humanitarian aid after the announcement of the 12 May, but Pyongyang has not yet responded.
Now you can receive notifications from BBC News World. Download the new version of our app and activate it so you don’t miss our best content.
- Do you already know our YouTube channel? Subscribe!