North Korean healthcare workers have been spraying disinfectants in public places in recent months.
With North Korea’s announcement of its first official Covid-19 cases, quarantine began across the country.
The North Korean state-owned Korean Central News Agency reported that the first Omicron cases were seen in the capital Pyongyang four days ago, but did not disclose the number.
The agency reported that on Thursday, the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, declared a “national emergency” and promised to end the epidemic.
Accordingly, in order to prevent the spread of the virus, local closure practices and restrictions on gathering at workplaces will be implemented.
According to the Seoul-based NK News news site, residents of parts of Pyongyang were quarantined at least two days ago.
The South Korean government said it was renewing its offer of humanitarian aid to the North over the cases. No response from Pyongyang yet.
Although North Korea claims that it has never seen a case of Covid-19 before, observers believe the virus has been in the country for a long time.
North Korea rejects national Covid-19 vaccine program. The country had not accepted millions of offers of AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines to be procured from abroad last year. This is thought to have left the country’s 25 million population vulnerable.
There are also concerns about how effectively North Korea’s weak health system can combat the virus.
The main method in North Korea’s fight against Covid-19 was to completely cut off its connection with the outside. It was one of the first countries to close its borders in January 2020.
However, this situation also prevented the entry of basic necessities into the country. As a result, the country’s economy was hit and there was a food shortage.