North Korea has notified the lifting of the five-day lockdown imposed in the capital area, after “the increase in cases of respiratory diseases”. This was announced by the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, uploading the image of an official letter sent by the North Korean Foreign Ministry on the country’s decision to end the “special” quarantine mandate starting today. “We express our deep gratitude to the foreign diplomatic corps for scrupulously implementing the latest strong quarantine measures,” the letter read. The lockdown had been introduced with a possible extension of three days depending on the virus situation. The local health ministry had cited an increase in patients with seasonal flu and other unspecified “respiratory diseases”, without ever mentioning Covid-19, advising diplomatic missions to prevent their staff from leaving the representations, recommending them to check “voluntarily” body temperature four times a day and to report the results to a designated hospital.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had declared in August the defeat of the virus which, according to Pyongyang, had made its appearance in the country in early May. A turning point on which international experts have raised doubts based on the low vaccination rate and the deficient health system.