North Korea confirms 15 new Covid deaths as fever cases ‘explode’

The admission follows contentious claims North Korea had been ‘coronavirus-free’ during the last two years.

A fever has reportedly spread through the country ‘explosively’ since April, but little has been disclosed on the exact number of positive cases.

The confirmed number of fatalities in North Korea stands at 42.

And according to the Korean Central News Agency, the number of people with ‘high fevers’ has now reached 820,620.

The numbers of positive Covid-19 cases may have not been revealed due to the fact health chiefs lack enough testing kits, experts say.

‘As North Korea’s [suspected] Covid-19 infections are explosively increasing, its death toll is expected to continue to rise.’

North Korea’s previous coronavirus-free claim had been disputed by many foreign experts.

But South Korean officials said North Korea had indeed likely avoided a huge outbreak, in part because it instituted strict virus controls almost from the start of the pandemic.

North Korea has been in lockdown since Thursday in a bid to contain the virus.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University, said coronavirus could lead to a major shift in public opinion.

He said: ‘Kim regime’s domestic audience may be less interested in nuclear or missile tests when the urgent threat involves coronavirus rather than a foreign military.’