North Korea Claims All Fever Patients Since COVID-19 Outbreak Have Recovered, Recorded 74 People Died

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is directly monitoring the delivery of medicine for his sick citizens. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korean authorities announced on Friday that all fever patients in the country have recovered, since the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, according to state media KCNA.

The North has never confirmed how many people have tested positive for COVID-19 since confirming its first case in May, but it says some 4.77 million fever patients have fully recovered and 74 have died since late April. North Korea also reported no new fever cases since July 30.

Instead of claiming victory or ending the COVID-19 situation, North Korea said "the anti-epidemic situation has entered a definite phase of stability".

The authority also said it would "redouble efforts to maintain excellence in the implementation of the country's anti-epidemic policies and measures, integrally carry out work to further tighten its anti-epidemic system."

Such work would include strengthened monitoring of the new COVID-19 sub-variant and measures to quickly mobilize its medical workers in the event of a crisis situation, according to KCNA.

Illustration of the handling of COVID-19 in North Korea. (Source: KCNA)

Earlier, North Korea officially confirmed its first COVID-19 outbreak on May 12, 2022, with state media reporting a sub-variant of the highly contagious Omicron virus, known as BA.2, had been detected in Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to "conquer" the COVID-19 outbreak, declaring the country would implement a "maximum emergency" quarantine control system to contain the virus.

North Korea's official news agency reported that Leader Kim told an emergency politburo meeting at the time, "the aim is to remove the roots in the shortest possible time."

A day later, North Korea announced its first death from COVID-19 with about 187.800 people being treated in isolation due to fever.

Interestingly, North Korea had previously accused the country's COVID-19 outbreak of being caused by contact with 'foreign objects' near the South Korean border, in an announcement made on July 1.

Announcing the results of the investigation, North Korea ordered people to "vigilously deal with extraneous matters coming from wind and other climatic phenomena and balloons in areas along demarcation lines and borders."