An epidemic could be devastating for the economically and politically isolated country (representation)
Seoul:
North Korea has warned its citizens to stay indoors, saying seasonal yellow dust from China could carry the new coronavirus to the country.
“As new coronavirus infections continue to spread around the world, the need to tackle yellow dust and take deeper action has become more critical,” North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun party official newspaper said on Thursday.
The claim that the virus that causes COVID-19 could spread to North Korea from the Gobi Desert, 1,900 km away, does not appear to be substantiated.
Two meters is a common social distancing measure, although the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says droplets containing the virus can sometimes remain in the air for hours.
The North Korean newspaper said citizens should refrain from outdoor activities and follow prevention guidelines such as wearing masks when going out.
North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases of the coronavirus, a claim that health experts question. Pyongyang has imposed strict border controls and quarantine measures to prevent an outbreak.
Analysts believe that an epidemic could be devastating for this economically and politically isolated country.
Public television KRT said on Wednesday that the yellow dust and fine dust could contain harmful substances, such as heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms, including viruses.
“People should be careful with personal hygiene after returning from the outside,” one newsreader said. “In addition, workers should avoid open-air construction work, even on reconstruction sites.”
On Thursday, the Russian Embassy in North Korea wrote on Facebook that the North Korean Foreign Ministry had ordered all visitors to the country and its staff to wait for the dust storm inside.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
