We’ve Defeated COVID-19 – North Korea Leader, Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un on Thursday said the nation has won the battle against COVID-19.

The leader made this declaration while addressing health workers and scientists during a meeting stating that they’ve recorded a “shining victory in the war against the malignant pandemic disease”.

Earlier, the country confirmed an Omicron outbreak in the capital Pyongyang in May and activated a “maximum emergency epidemic prevention system”.

North Korea refers to “fever patients” rather than “Covid patients” in case reports, apparently due to a lack of testing capacity.

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It has recorded nearly 4.8 million “fever” infections and just 74 deaths for an official fatality rate of 0.002 percent, according to state media. It has reported no new cases since July 29.

This handling of the pandemic “is a miracle unprecedented in the world’s public health history,” Kim said to thunderous applause, according to KCNA.

“The victory gained by our people is a historic event.”

Kim’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the top leader himself had been ill during the outbreak.

“Kim was suffering from high fever during the days of this quarantine war, but he could not lie down for a moment as he was thinking about the people he was responsible for,” his sister said.

This is the first time North Korea has indicated its leader, whose health is the subject of extraordinarily close scrutiny by analysts, had been infected by the coronavirus.