State media said on Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had declared victory in the fight against the new coronavirus and had ordered the relaxation of the strictest anti-epidemic measures put in place in May.
With what international assistance organizations claim to be restricted testing capabilities, North Korea has reported no new suspected cases since July 29 but has not specified how many confirmed illnesses of the virus it has discovered.
According to a report by the state news agency KCNA, Kim stated that while relaxing the strictest anti-pandemic measures, North Korea must maintain a “steel-strong anti-epidemic barrier and escalating the anti-epidemic effort till the conclusion of the world health catastrophe.”
Though the totalitarian North has used the outbreak to tighten social controls, analysts suggested that its proclamation of triumph could be the first step toward resuming trade that has been impeded by border closures and other restrictions.
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Additionally, according to observers, it might pave the way for the North to undertake its first nuclear weapon test since 2017.
According to KCNA, which cited another official, North Korea’s 74 official death rate is a “unprecedented miracle” in comparison to other nations.
North Korea stated the quantity of people exhibiting fever symptoms rather than the number of confirmed cases. On May 15, when the number of daily cases reached more than 392,000, health professionals issued a crisis alert.
The World Health Organization has questioned North Korea’s assertions, stating last month that in the lack of independent evidence, it believes the situation is worse rather than improving.
Pyongyang declares triumph despite having no known vaccination program in place. The nation claims that instead it used lockdowns, homegrown medical procedures, and what Kim referred to as the “advantageous Korean-style communist system.”
The North has claimed to be conducting rigorous medical examinations across the country, with daily PCR tests on water collected in border areas being one of the measures.
It added that it has been working on new techniques to more accurately detect the virus, its variations, as well as other contagious illnesses like monkeypox.
According to Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister, the North Korean leader had feverish symptoms himself and attributed the epidemic to South Korean leaflets, according to KCNA.
“Even though he was seriously ill with a high fever, he could not lie down for a moment thinking about the people he had to take care of until the end in the face of the anti-epidemic war,” she said in a speech praising his efforts.
In a statement released on Thursday, South Korea’s Unification Ministry expressed “deep apologies” over North Korea’s “repeatedly presenting groundless assertions” regarding how Covid-19 had entered the nation.
