DTMT Network

The Covid19 situation in North Korea is taking a serious turn with the country reporting over a quarter of a million fresh cases in the past 24 hours taking the total number of people infected by the disease to over 1.7 million.

The state media reported that 2,32,880 new cases of ‘fever’ were reported across the country on May 18, 2022.

The death toll in the current surge has risen to 62, with six more people succumbing to the disease, the report added.

The country has mobilised 3,000 members of its armed forces to ensure round the clock delivery and supply of medicines across the country, the state media said.

Meanwhile, the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un has come down heavily on the people responsible for managing things in the country for their failure in preventing the epidemic by putting the blame on the non-positive attitude, slackness and non-activity of state leading officials.

The crisis facing us offered a test board to distinguish between the merits and demerits of all working systems of our state, Kim Jong Un said while addressing the praesidium of the politburo.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed its concern on the development in North Korea, which is yet to vaccinate its population against the disease.

“WHO is deeply concerned at the risk of further spread of Covid-19  in the country particularly because the population is unvaccinated and many have underlying conditions putting them at risk of severe disease and death,” WHO DG, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on May 17, 2022.

The technical lead of the Covid-19 response and the head of the emerging diseases and zoonosis unit at WHO, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said that all tools at hand must be used.

"There are antivirals, diagnostic tests... and safe vaccines that are very effective at preventing severe disease and death. We will continue to offer that support” Dr Van Kerkhove said.