From
Send to

N. Korea reports no new suspected COVID-19 cases for 1 week: state media

Aug. 5, 2022 - 10:17 By Yonhap

Quarantine officials spray disinfectant at Pyongyang International Airport in the North Korean capital amid the highest-level alert on the coronavirus, in this undated photo released by the North's Korean Central News Agency on June 10. (KCNA)

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases remained at zero for one week, with efforts under way for returning to normalcy amid ongoing antivirus measures, according to state media Friday.

No new fever cases were reported over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency anti-epidemic headquarters.

It did not provide any other information in the report.

In a separate article, the KCNA said all fever patients under treatment have recovered and the country has entered a "definite phase of stability" in its virus situation.

"As no new fever cases were reported during the past week and all those receiving treatment have recovered across the country, the overall anti-epidemic situation of the DPRK has entered a definite phase of stability," it said in the English-language report. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

It added that health authorities are working to step up management and control of the situation in order to restore normal life and activities throughout society as soon as possible.

"Anti-epidemic and public health officials maintain initiative and mobilized posture in the anti-epidemic and public health activities while focusing efforts on measures to prevent epidemic diseases," it said, noting that authorities have strengthened monitoring of new COVID-19 subvariants and other diseases.

The previous day, the KCNA said the total number of fever cases from late April to 6 p.m. Wednesday stood at 4.77 million and 99.998 percent of them had recovered. As of July 5, the death toll reached 74, with the fatality rate at 0.002 percent.

Pyongyang disclosed its first COVID-19 case on May 12 after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years and immediately declared a "maximum emergency" virus control system. The North's daily fever tally peaked at over 392,920 on May 15. (Yonhap)