In what appears to be the first city-wide restrictions since the government declared victory over Covid-19 in August 2022, North Korea has reportedly ordered a five-day lockdown in the capital due to “respiratory disease,” according to a report on Wednesday.
According to an official announcement, residents of Pyongyang have been instructed to remain inside their homes from Wednesday through Sunday and submit to several temperature inspections daily.
The article stated that while the notification made no mention of Covid, it did list the common cold as one of the ailments that were currently circulating in the city.
According to informants in Pyongyang who were cited in the government order, residents of the city appeared to be stockpiling commodities in preparation for a lockdown.
The extent of any additional lockdowns is unknown, and state media has not reported any new regulations.
According to experts, Covid is undoubtedly causing problems in North Korea’s main metropolis.
Go Myong-Hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, claimed that covid is “disappearing and reappearing according on the temperature, not just in North Korea but around the world.”
