North Korea: North Korea has reportedly ordered a five-day lockdown in the capital due to “respiratory disease” in what appears to be the first citywide restrictions since the government declared victory over COVID-19 in August 2022.

Residents of Pyongyang have been ordered to stay in their homes from January 25th to 29th 2023 and must submit to multiple temperature checks each day, as per the report. The report stated that while the notice made no mention of COVID, it did list the common cold as one of the illnesses that were currently circulating in the capital.

The extent of any additional lockdowns is unknown, and state media has not reported any new rules. The experts say, COVID is undoubtedly causing problems in North Korea’s main metropolis. “COVID is disappearing and reappearing depending on the temperature, not just in North Korea but around the world,” remarked Mr. Go Myong-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Currently, the Korean peninsula is experiencing what weather experts have termed a Siberian cold snap, with Pyongyang seeing lows of -22 degrees Celsius (-7.6 Fahrenheit). China, a neighbour of North Korea and a significant trading partner, recently abandoned its zero-COVID rules and struggled to contain an outbreak of diseases that overflowed hospitals and crematoriums.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, North Korea has maintained a strict blockade, but it does permit some trade with China. According to experts, North Korea has one of the worst healthcare systems in the world, with underfunded hospitals, few intensive care units, and no COVID therapeutic options.

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