North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the tightening of anti-Covid-19 emergency systems across the country amid a pandemic still raging around the world.
Mr. Kim made the decision when presiding over a meeting of the Politburo of the Korean Labor Party, the state news agency KCNA reported on November 16.
The meeting took place amid economic and political uncertainty surrounding the global Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic is also putting additional pressure on the North Korean economy, already troubled by international sanctions aimed at blocking its nuclear program.
This meeting is the leader's first public appearance in 27 days.
Mr. Kim stressed the need to stay on high alert and strengthen anti-epidemic work, KCNA reported.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), North Korea has tested on 12,000 people and there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of early November.
A total of 6,173 people, 8 of which were foreigners, were considered suspected cases. 174 people were quarantined in the last week of October, WHO said.
More than 54 million people have been recorded with Covid-19 worldwide and 1,312,334 people have died from the corona virus, according to Reuters statistics.
Kim also urged North Korea to embark on an 80-day campaign to achieve goals in all areas before the new five-year plan is decided at the party congress in January.