North Korea manages to deal with Covid-19, Shanghai reopens

The country also reported 15 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 42, but did not say if it was because of Covid-19 – possibly because the country’s testing capacity has not kept up with the number of suspected cases. doubt.

Authorities have not announced the cause of the outbreak, only saying that a sample collected from a group of people with a fever on May 8 tested positive for the Omicron variant. North Korea announced the epidemic wave on May 12.

Radio CNN said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un views the country’s first reported Covid-19 outbreak as “the greatest turmoil” to have hit the country since its founding in more than 70 years. last year.

On May 14, Kim inspected the country’s emergency epidemic prevention and control measures and medical supplies, urging officials to learn from China’s “rich and advanced quarantine results and economic experience they have achieved”.

Leader Kim Jong-un at a meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea to check anti-Covid-19 efforts Photo: KCNA

The World Health Organization (WHO) said North Korea is one of two countries that have not started a vaccination program against Covid-19.

According to a spokesperson for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), one of the key members of the COVAX program, COVAX has moved to need-based vaccine allocation and is currently uncommitted. any amount of vaccine with North Korea, after it repeatedly rejected international offers.

However, the spokesman stressed: “In the event that North Korea decides to start a Covid-19 vaccination program, a vaccine can be provided based on COVAX criteria and technical considerations to help them catch up with international vaccination targets”.

Meanwhile, the Chinese city of Shanghai has plans to reopen shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets and even hair salons, allowing customers to “shop in an orderly manner”. associated Reuters quoted Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Tong at a press conference on May 15. Mr. Chen did not specify the speed or extent of this opening.

In Beijing, restaurants, parks and entertainment venues remain closed, and people are encouraged to work from home. In the most populous district of Trieu Duong, people are reminded of epidemic prevention by text messages, and many people say they are still able to knock on the door to get tested for Covid-19 every day.