For the first time since the first COVID cases were discovered in May Kim Jong Uns North Korea said Saturday it had not registered any new cases of fever.

What happened: North Korea’s state media said that “no new fever cases were reported with 13 recoveries,” according to the state’s emergency anti-epidemic headquarters.

North Korea abruptly admitted this first domestic COVID-19 outbreak on May 12, imposing tighter restrictions on its 26 million unimmunized citizens.

International Health Experts have stated that North Korea’s COVID count is likely to be rigged and the extent of illnesses and deaths kept lower to help the “supreme leader” maintain his absolute control amid mounting economic difficulties.

Lee Yo Hana professor at Ajou University Graduate School of Public Health in South Korea said AP that “realistically, hundreds of thousands of daily fever cases going to zero in less than three months is an impossible thing.”

Another report from KCNAWatch said the country is stepping up and upgrading its anti-epidemic systems to protect against other sub-variants of COVID-19 and diseases such as monkeypox that are emerging in other countries.

State media also praised Kim and the country for suppressing the outbreak much faster than other countries. “The organizational force and unity unique to the society of (North Korea) is fully demonstrated in the struggle for victory in the emergency anti-epidemic campaign,” the report said.

Photo: Created with an image by Prachatai on Flickr