Pyongyang: A fever outbreak of unknown origin has been reported in a region bordering China, according to North Korea’s state media on Thursday. However, it was not the coronavirus that the government declared triumph against earlier this month.
According to the official KCNA news agency, four fever cases “suspected of being infected with malignant epidemic” were reported from Ryanggang Province close to the border with China on Tuesday. This prompted authorities to promptly seal down the area and mobilise medical teams.
But a detailed analysis of the nationwide epidemic situation showed that there have been no COVID-19 cases since the country’s outbreak ended early this month, KCNA said.
Still, authorities have dispatched epidemiological, virology and test experts to the area to investigate the cause of the fever cases, while imposing measures to prevent their spread, it said.
Authorities are “taking steps to trace all persons, who connected with the suspect cases, and persons going to and from the relevant area and keep them under strict medical observation,” KCNA said.
After North Korea declared victory over COVID-19, it blamed South Korea for causing the outbreak and vowed “deadly retaliation” against it. The claims, however, were denied by South Korea.
Officials have since scrapped a face mask mandate and other restrictions including limits on the use of public facilities except in border regions.
North Korea has never confirmed how many people caught COVID, apparently because it lacks the means to conduct widespread testing.
