North Korea orders a five-day lockdown in Pyongyang due to the increase in respiratory diseases

MADRID, 25 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The North Korean authorities have ordered a five-day confinement for the residents of Pyongyang starting this Wednesday due to the increase in respiratory diseases, as reported by the NK News portal.

The North Korean government statement indicates that the diseases currently spreading include the common cold, despite not mentioning the coronavirus. In this sense, citizens must remain in their homes and must undergo temperature controls.

However, according to this information, it is unknown if other cities in the Asian country have also been or will be confined.

This announcement came a day after the aforementioned portal reported that residents of the North Korean capital were stocking up on goods after receiving advance warning of the city's closure.

In early January, the official North Korean media appealed for caution to "completely" prevent contagion, in a series of public messages that put Pyongyang on guard against the worsening of the health emergency stemming mainly from neighboring China.

The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, declared victory over the pandemic in August 2022, after a few months that the authorities themselves recognized as complicated and in which they came to confirm the first death from the coronavirus.

However, Kim also urged the population to wear masks in November, two months after advocating a vaccination campaign with which he hoped to increase the level of immunization in a country that prevents any hint of external surveillance.