North Korea announces first COVID-19 deaths

Pyongyang: North Korea has announced an “explosive” COVID-19 outbreak that likely killed six people and infected more than 350,000, according to state media, prompting fears of an impending and deadly crisis in the isolated and impoverished nation.

The announcement comes a day after the country reported its first ever coronavirus case, calling the situation a “major national emergency.”

On Thursday, North Korea reported 18,000 new “fever cases” and six deaths, one of which tested positive for the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, state media KCNA reported on Friday.

North Korea has not confirmed that all “fever” cases and deaths are Covid-19, likely due to its limited testing capability. An outbreak of Covid-19 could prove disastrous for North Korea.