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North Korea reports first positive Covid-19 case, declares emergency
Source: Agence France-Presse
Issued on: 12/05/2022 - 03:59
North Korea has confirmed its first-ever case of Covid-19 and declared a "severe national emergency", with leader Kim Jong Un vowing to "eliminate" the virus, state media said Thursday.
The impoverished, nuclear-armed country has never admitted to a case of Covid-19, with the government imposing a rigid coronavirus blockade of its borders since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
But samples taken from patients sick with fever in the capital were "consistent with" the virus' highly transmissible Omicron variant, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Top officials, including leader Kim Jong Un, held a crisis politburo meeting to discuss the outbreak and announced they would implement a "maximum emergency" virus control system.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220512-north-korea-reports-first-positive-covid-19-case-declares-emergency
Source: The Guardian
North Korea admits to Covid outbreak for first time and declares ‘severe national emergency’
Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Thu 12 May 2022 03.35 BST
First published on Thu 12 May 2022 01.49 BST
North Korea has declared a “severe national emergency” after confirming its first outbreak of Covid-19, prompting its leader, Kim Jong-un, to vow to quickly eliminate the virus.
State media reported on Thursday that a sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron virus, known as BA.2, had been detected in the capital, Pyongyang.
“There has been the biggest emergency incident in the country, with a hole in our emergency quarantine front, that has been kept safely over the past two years and three months since February 2020,” the official KCNA news agency said.
-snip-
The discovery of the Omicron variant presents a potentially serious risk to North Korea, which has not vaccinated any of its 25 million people, according to experts, and its poorly resourced healthcare system would also struggle to cope with a major outbreak.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/12/north-korea-admits-to-covid-outbreak-for-first-time
16 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
and couldn't figure out what the heck the "severe national emergency" was, so thank you for the OP. 
If Omicron gets going in there, they are toast. 
Of course NK could always get China's "Sinovac" (even if "under the table" ) if necessary. I wouldn't be surprised if Kim Jong-un is already vaccinated with Sinovac. i did see where 3 doses of it actually did make it effective.
Meanwhile just found this published today -
May 12, 20228:21 AM EDT
Last Updated an hour ago
Beijing denies lockdown rumours as Shanghai hunts elusive COVID
By Brenda Goh and Martin Quin Pollard
SHANGHAI/BEIJING, May 12 (Reuters) - Beijing denied it was heading for lockdown as panic buying gripped the capital on Thursday, while Shanghai combed the city for lingering COVID-19 cases in the hope of clearing the way to escape from weeks of painful restrictions. Daily cases in Beijing have remained in the dozens, a tiny fraction of the outbreak in Shanghai and what other cities around the world now shrug off as they look to "live with the virus".
But with gradually tightening curbs in China's capital - most recently suspending taxi services in some virus-hit districts - rumours swirled on Thursday that it was headed for lockdown, something Beijing has avoided during the entire pandemic. There were chaotic scenes inside some supermarkets late on Thursday as residents rushed to stock up on supplies while anxiously listening to Beijing's daily COVID news conference on their phones.
"This is quite unhealthy because people are in a very nervous mood," said Grace Zhao, who stood in a 50-metre queue outside one supermarket in Chaoyang, Beijing's most populous district and the epicentre of its current outbreak. Authorities there have already banned dine-in services at restaurants, closed some malls, entertainment and tourist venues, suspended sections of its bus and subway systems and imposed lockdowns on some residential buildings.
Officials at the news conference denied rumours of a lockdown and told people not to panic-buy, but also encouraged residents to stay home and said they would launch a new round of mass testing across most of the city. China also said on Thursday it would "strictly limit" unnecessary travel outside the country by Chinese citizens. Most international flights in and out of China have been cancelled during the past two years.
(snip)
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-hunts-down-covid-cases-beijing-curbs-taxi-services-2022-05-12/
Last Updated an hour ago
Beijing denies lockdown rumours as Shanghai hunts elusive COVID
By Brenda Goh and Martin Quin Pollard
SHANGHAI/BEIJING, May 12 (Reuters) - Beijing denied it was heading for lockdown as panic buying gripped the capital on Thursday, while Shanghai combed the city for lingering COVID-19 cases in the hope of clearing the way to escape from weeks of painful restrictions. Daily cases in Beijing have remained in the dozens, a tiny fraction of the outbreak in Shanghai and what other cities around the world now shrug off as they look to "live with the virus".
But with gradually tightening curbs in China's capital - most recently suspending taxi services in some virus-hit districts - rumours swirled on Thursday that it was headed for lockdown, something Beijing has avoided during the entire pandemic. There were chaotic scenes inside some supermarkets late on Thursday as residents rushed to stock up on supplies while anxiously listening to Beijing's daily COVID news conference on their phones.
"This is quite unhealthy because people are in a very nervous mood," said Grace Zhao, who stood in a 50-metre queue outside one supermarket in Chaoyang, Beijing's most populous district and the epicentre of its current outbreak. Authorities there have already banned dine-in services at restaurants, closed some malls, entertainment and tourist venues, suspended sections of its bus and subway systems and imposed lockdowns on some residential buildings.
Officials at the news conference denied rumours of a lockdown and told people not to panic-buy, but also encouraged residents to stay home and said they would launch a new round of mass testing across most of the city. China also said on Thursday it would "strictly limit" unnecessary travel outside the country by Chinese citizens. Most international flights in and out of China have been cancelled during the past two years.
(snip)
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-hunts-down-covid-cases-beijing-curbs-taxi-services-2022-05-12/
for the first time in 2 years -
New Zealand to fully reopen borders for first time since Covid pandemic started
Eva Corlett
@evacorlett
Tue 10 May 2022 22.56 EDT
Last modified on Tue 10 May 2022 23.56 EDT
New Zealand will fully reopen to the world two months earlier than originally planned, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced as part of a wider shake-up to immigration settings. The country swiftly closed the border in March 2020 to prevent the arrival of Covid-19. It has just started reopening to some non-New Zealand citizens and residents over the past few months – beginning with Australians and followed by travellers from 60 visa-waiver countries.
From 11.59pm on 31 July, tourists and visa-holders from the rest of the world will also be allowed back for the first time in over two years. The original date had been set for October, but the government long maintained the opening could be brought forward if it was deemed safe to do so. “This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities,” Ardern said on Wednesday. “It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons.”
The border announcement is part of a suite of reforms to immigration settings, including streamlining immigration pathways to attract skilled workers back to the country, extending visas for migrants already in the country, allowing cruise ships and international students to return and new settings that will help New Zealand move away from its reliance on low-wage, low-skill migrant labour.
The prime minister, who is isolating at home after her partner tested positive for Covid-19, announced the reforms via video link as part of her pre-budget speech. She also reflected on her recent travels, the war in Ukraine, inflation and promoted the government’s vision for a stable economic future. The budget will be announced on 19 May and will help set the political scene as the country heads towards a 2023 election.
(snip)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/11/new-zealand-to-fully-reopen-borders-for-first-time-since-covid-pandemic-started
Eva Corlett
@evacorlett
Tue 10 May 2022 22.56 EDT
Last modified on Tue 10 May 2022 23.56 EDT
New Zealand will fully reopen to the world two months earlier than originally planned, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced as part of a wider shake-up to immigration settings. The country swiftly closed the border in March 2020 to prevent the arrival of Covid-19. It has just started reopening to some non-New Zealand citizens and residents over the past few months – beginning with Australians and followed by travellers from 60 visa-waiver countries.
From 11.59pm on 31 July, tourists and visa-holders from the rest of the world will also be allowed back for the first time in over two years. The original date had been set for October, but the government long maintained the opening could be brought forward if it was deemed safe to do so. “This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities,” Ardern said on Wednesday. “It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons.”
The border announcement is part of a suite of reforms to immigration settings, including streamlining immigration pathways to attract skilled workers back to the country, extending visas for migrants already in the country, allowing cruise ships and international students to return and new settings that will help New Zealand move away from its reliance on low-wage, low-skill migrant labour.
The prime minister, who is isolating at home after her partner tested positive for Covid-19, announced the reforms via video link as part of her pre-budget speech. She also reflected on her recent travels, the war in Ukraine, inflation and promoted the government’s vision for a stable economic future. The budget will be announced on 19 May and will help set the political scene as the country heads towards a 2023 election.
(snip)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/11/new-zealand-to-fully-reopen-borders-for-first-time-since-covid-pandemic-started
They had originally closed the borders in order to be "COVID-free" but that didn't quite work out.
They did go ahead and get vaccines ordered when they were finally available, but as you noted - as long as the "upper crust" is freely in and out, then...
