North Korea reports no ‘fever cases’ for first time since April

North Korea reported zero new "fever” cases Saturday for the first time since it confirmed an outbreak of what appears to be Covid-19 in April, which led to strict lockdown measures in some major cities. 

Authorities said 13 infected people had recovered, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It didn’t disclose the number of new virus-related deaths. 

"The organizational power and unity unique to the society of (North Korea) is fully displayed in the struggle to bring forward a victory in the emergency anti-epidemic campaign by fully executing the anti-epidemic policies of the party and the state,” KCNA said. 

The total number of "fever cases” has risen to 4,772,813 since late April, and 99.9% of patients have recovered, the state media reported. North Korea has not labeled the hundreds of thousands of infections as Covid cases.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un locked down cities and mobilized troops to try contain the spread of what the state called a "malicious” epidemic, and his efforts have been supported by the government propaganda apparatus. State media have praised Kim’s reaction to the outbreak and blamed cadres who don’t follow his guidance for the shortcomings in the response.

There has been no outside verification of the numbers provided by the government. North Korea may be reporting fewer cases than actual because it wants to provide the pretext for an economic reopening after saying it has controlled the situation, according to Cho Han-bum, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

North Korea says its fatality rate from the outbreak is far lower than that in South Korea. That has raised questions about the veracity of the claims.
North Korea’s claim of zero Covid cases may ultimately accelerate Pyongyang’s decision to execute its seventh nuclear test.

"The Covid situation, along with China’s opposition and weather condition, was what delayed North Korea’s nuclear test,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul who has advised the South Korean government. "Although North Korea is less likely to  execute its nuclear test immediately, it may do so after its rainy reason ends and as the US and South Korea conduct joint military drills late August.”

Yang said Kim may possibly conduct the test in October to "maximize its impact against the US,” which has midterm elections in November.  

Kim has been stepping up provocations by firing off a record number of ballistic missiles and showing signs North Korea could conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.