Covid-19 outbreak kills 42 in North Korea

North Korea said a total of 42 people had died of coronavirus by yesterday, with suspected cases passing 800,000 only days after the country acknowledged an outbreak for the first time. State news agency KCNA said the country was taking “swift state emergency measures” to control the epidemic. “All provinces, cities and counties of the country have been totally locked down and working units, production units and residential units closed from each other since the morning of May 12 and strict and intensive examination of all the people is being conducted,” it reported yesterday. On Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the spread of Covid-19 had thrust his country into “great turmoil”.