North Korea says COVID-19 outbreak began with ‘alien things’ near border with South
Global News
State media shared results from an investigation into the outbreak that blamed people touching objects near the border with South Korea, in an apparent attempt to shift blame.
North Korea claimed on Friday the country’s first COVID-19 outbreak began with patients touching “alien things” near the border with South Korea, apparently shifting blame to the neighbor for the wave of infections that hit the isolated country.
Announcing its probe results, the North ordered its people to “vigilantly deal with alien things coming by wind and other climate phenomena and balloons in the areas along the demarcation line and borders.”
According to the state media KCNA, an 18-year-old soldier and a five-year-old kindergartener who contacted the unidentified materials “in a hill around barracks and residential quarters” in the eastern county of Kumgang in early April showed symptoms and later tested positive for the coronavirus.
“The investigation results showed that several persons coming from the area of Ipho-ri in Kumgang County of Kangwon Province to the capital city in mid-April were in fever and a sharp increase of fever cases was witnessed among their contacts,” the state media said.
The KCNA said all other fever cases reported in the country till mid-April were due to other diseases, but it did not elaborate.
North Korean defectors and activists in South Korea had for decades flown balloons carrying leaflets and humanitarian aid across the heavily fortified border.
The government of former President Moon Jae-in barred the campaigns in 2020, citing safety concerns of residents on the border, but activists called the ban an attempt to whitewash Pyongyang and silence critics amid efforts to improve cross-border ties.
North Korea has been battling its first outbreak of COVID infections, declaring a state of emergency in May after years of enforcing tight restrictions to prevent the virus from entering the country.
The motion won't mean the city is investing or accepting payment in cryptocurrency any time soon, but will instead direct staff to look into those possibilities.
Enbridge officials said in a statement that the reroute proposal has gone through rigorous reviews and studies.
A proposed deal that would see three tobacco giants pay out billions to provinces and territories, as well as smokers across Canada, has been approved by the companies' creditors.
Tokyo recently announced a four-day workweek policy in an effort to boost Japan’s record-low fertility rate - something that Canada is also struggling with.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, many working in steep canyons, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
Evidence has grown in recent years that highly processed foods are linked to a wide range of chronic health problems, like diabetes and heart disease.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has released its list of the top 10 most impactful weather events of 2024.
Fifteen charges under the federal Fisheries Act have been laid against Imperial Metals Corp. more than 10 years after a tailings pond collapsed the Mount Polley mine.
Many kids and teens are looking forward to the holidays with great excitement, but others find it a difficult time of year filled with anxiety, stress and loneliness. It’s something Alisa Simon, the chief youth officer at Kids Help Phone, says they watch for when school pauses for the winter break, noting, “we do see an increase...
Advocates and friends of a Nova Scotia woman who died from stage IV breast cancer are urging the province to update its screening policy for women with dense breast tissue.
The report estimates a cancer patient will face almost $33,000 on average in out-of-pocket cancer-related costs in their lifetime, including loss of income.