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dpa
Seoul
North Korea says it is stepping up measures against the epidemic spread of cases of fever, many of which seem to be linked to the country’s first outbreak of the coronavirus.
Five days after the first confirmation of a coronavirus outbreak in the country, state media reported on Tuesday that the military had dispatched soldiers to all pharmacies in Pyongyang and started “distributing medicines under a 24-hour service system.”
According to the report, the deployment of troops was limited to the capital, with its nearly 3 million residents.
The state news agency KCNA reported 270,000 new cases of fever within 24 hours on Tuesday. There is no official confirmation whether those affected are infected with the coronavirus because the country has hardly any testing capacities, according to experts.
According to KCNA, a total of 1.5 million cases of fever have been registered in the country of about 26 million people since the end of April. More than 660,000 people are still receiving treatment. The number of fever-related deaths has risen by six to 56.
On Thursday, North Korea officially confirmed infections with the pathogen for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, it has been talking about the nationwide spread of an epidemic. On the orders of ruler Kim Jong Un, all cities and counties are said to have been sealed off. North Korea has so far refrained from receiving vaccines through COVAX, a network co-founded by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO has emphasized its willingness to help several times, but has not been contacted, according to its own information.
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern about the “Covid-19 outbreak” in North Korea on Monday.
“Because the country has not initiated Covid-19 vaccination so far, there is a risk of the virus spreading rapidly among the masses,” WHO regional director for South-East Asia, Khetrapal Singh, was quoted as saying.
The UN Human Rights Office fears that the coronavirus outbreak and the closure of all towns and counties could have devastating consequences for the people.
It said there were few health facilities and a lack of essential medicines and equipment. The restrictions could make it difficult for people to get basic necessities. Prison inmates, who were already emaciated and had poor medical care, were at great risk of contracting infections because of the confinement.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet appealed to the international community to withdraw sanctions so that the country could be supplied with aid.
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18/05/2022
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