North Korea confirms first-ever Covid-19 case, declares it 'severe emergency'

Seoul: North Korea on Thursday confirmed its first-ever case of Covid-19, with state media declaring it a "severe national emergency incident" after more than two years of purportedly keeping the pandemic at bay.

According to state media, the country's 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.

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 a 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.

Kim told the meeting that "the goal was to eliminate the root within the shortest period of time," according to KCNA.

"He assured us that because of the people's high political awareness... we will surely overcome the emergency and win the emergency quarantine project," it said.

Kim called for tighter border controls and lockdown measures, telling citizens "to completely block the spread of the malicious virus by thoroughly blocking their areas in all cities and counties across the country".

All business and production activities will be organized so each work unit is "isolated" to prevent the spread of disease, KCNA added.

Experts believe North Korea has not vaccinated any of its 25 million people, having rejected offers of vaccinations from the World Health Organisation, China, and Russia.

North Korea's crumbling health system would struggle to cope with a major virus outbreak, experts have said.