Authorities in North Korea have mandated a full five-day lockdown in the capital, Pyongyang, due to a rise in unspecified respiratory illness cases, according to a report from "NK News," based in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, on Wednesday, citing a government notification. The report noted that the notification did not mention the coronavirus but indicated that residents in the city must stay at home until the end of Sunday and undergo temperature checks multiple times a day.
The site reported on Tuesday that residents of Pyongyang are seemingly stockpiling goods in anticipation of stricter measures. However, it remains unclear if other areas in North Korea have already imposed new lockdowns, as reported by Reuters. North Korea acknowledged its first coronavirus outbreak last year but declared victory over the pandemic in August.
Pyongyang has not confirmed the number of COVID-19 cases due to a reported shortage of testing supplies nationwide. However, it revealed that the number of individuals experiencing a fever has risen to 4.77 million among its approximately 25 million population. North Korea has not reported such cases since July 29. Official media has continued to cover measures against respiratory illnesses, including influenza, but has yet to mention the lockdown order. The Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday that the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea, has intensified public campaigns “to ensure that all workers voluntarily adhere to epidemic prevention rules in their work and lives.”
