North Korea announces first death from Covid-19
Analysts suggest the latest figures from state media, including the acknowledgement that the unspecified fever had spread nationwide, may indicate the country is experiencing an outbreak unlike any it has seen so far. Its population of 25 million is vulnerable due to the lack of a vaccination programme and poor healthcare, experts say. North Korea rejected offers from the international community to supply millions of AstraZeneca and Chinese-made jabs last year. Instead, it claimed it had controlled Covid by sealing its borders early in January 2020. The country shares land borders with South Korea and China, which have both battled outbreaks. China is now struggling to contain an Omicron wave with lockdowns in its biggest cities. On Friday, KCNA reported that the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had visited a healthcare centre and "learned about the nationwide spread of Covid-19". It described the situation as an "immediate public health crisis". These numbers give u...