North Korea reports first Covid death after 350,000 hit with fever
Reuters
At least one person confirmed to have Covid-19 has reportedly died in North Korea, while hundreds of thousands have developed a fever, state media said on Friday, offering hints at the potentially dire scale of the country’s first confirmed outbreak.
At least six of the 350,000 treated for fever have died, one of whom was confirmed to have contracted the Omicron variant of the virus, the official KCNA news agency reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the anti-virus command centre on Thursday to check the situation before declaring a “gravest state of emergency” and ordering a national lockdown.
The outbreak reportedly began in the capital of Pyongyang in April, though the state media did not provide details on the cause of the surge in infections. However, the city hosted several massive public events on April 15 and 25, including a military parade and large gatherings where most people did not wear masks.
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