(LEAD) N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 100: state media

North Korea 09:33 July 25, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info from 3rd para)
By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 100, according to its state media Monday.

More than 50 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.

It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported. As of July 5, the death toll had stood at 74, with the fatality rate at 0.002 percent.

The total number of fever cases since late April came to over 4.77 million as of 6 p.m. Sunday, of which 99.99 percent had recovered and at least 330 others are being treated, it added.

The North's daily fever tally has been on a downward trend after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15.

A North Korean medical worker wearing a face shield collects test samples amid a surge in suspected coronavirus cases, in this photo captured from the North's official Korean Central Television. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The KCNA reported health authorities have tightened antivirus measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"Observation posts reinforced at major places of the border areas have intensified the supervision, control and disinfection work on people and vehicles and an atmosphere of immediately informing the relevant organs of strange things and symptoms and of acting according to the regulated orders is further consolidated among the inhabitants," it said.

Officials dealing with import and export materials have "guarded the gates of anti-epidemic war" by maintaining a multiple examination and disinfection process while legal institutions have ramped up efforts to prevent any violations of antivirus regulations, it added.

Pyongyang disclosed its first COVID-19 case May 12, after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years, and implemented nationwide lockdowns.

Earlier this month, the North claimed its coronavirus outbreak originated from "alien things" found near the inter-Korean border, alluding to balloon-carried materials sent at the time by North Korean defector groups in South Korea, such as anti-Pyongyang leaflets.