Example Set by DPRK in War against Covid-19

On August 10 the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea suspended the operation of the self-instituted top-level emergency anti-epidemic system. 

That day President Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs, in his speech at the National Meeting of Reviewing the Emergency Anti-Epidemic Work, declared that the Covid-19 that made inroads into the territory of the DPRK had been exterminated, and that victory had been achieved in the war for defending the life and health of its people. 

World Records Seen through Figures

With the rapid increase of fever cases owing to the infiltration of the malignant virus, on May 12 the DPRK instituted a top-level emergency anti-epidemic system, taking the measure of locking up the entire country by region and by production, working and living unit. This measure was lifted 91 days later.  The country, which had set the world record of being the virus-free zone for two years and three months, the longest period in the world, set another world record in containing the spread of the malignant virus and exterminating it.

In fact, the country had effectively controlled the spread of the virus well before the top-level emergency anti-epidemic system was lifted. As a result, from the fifth day since the top-level emergency anti-epidemic system was put in place, it reversed the nationwide spread of the disease to a containable, manageable and stable phase, and thus firmly stood a good chance of winning in the anti-epidemic war. The daily number of fever cases that recorded hundreds of thousands in the early days of the spread of the malignant virus decreased to less than 90 000 one month later; the number then continued to decrease, and since July 29 no suspect case was reported.  In other words, it checked the spread of the virus within 80-odd days, and restored stability in its anti-epidemic work. This is another world record in containing the spread of Covid-19.

In view of the fact that the country had not vaccinated its population against the disease even once, it is really surprising that the death toll is 74, or 0.0016% of all fever cases.  

During the period, more than 71 200 public health workers and over 1 148 000 hygiene activists were mobilized across the country every day for identifying and treating fever cases, while thousands of former public health workers volunteered for this effort. These are not small numbers in consideration of the fact that a 

system of doctors taking responsibility of the health of a certain number of households has been established and medical institutions and public health workers can be found in every corner of the country.

Contrasting Phenomena 

 To look back, different reactions appeared among the people throughout the world when Covid-19 began to spread.  The rich people in the capitalist countries including the United States vied with one another for evacuation to islands in the oceans and uploaded the photos of their luxurious life on the Internet.   Others bought goods in heaps, and even purchased weapons in anticipation of social chaos.  Claiming “freedom,” some even did not wear masks and held meetings in violation of the anti-epidemic regulations like keeping social distancing. Such self-centred behaviours gave birth to indescribable sufferings and death of many people. 

 But in the socialist DPRK the entire population voluntarily observed the anti-epidemic rules and regulations in response to the measures taken by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and the government. Every one regarded it as compulsory to wear mask, wash and disinfect hands and keep social distancing, and helped and led one another forward.

When the top-level emergency anti-epidemic system was put in place, Kim Jong Un personally visited the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters and some pharmacies in Pyongyang, and donated the medicines his family had prepared to the Headquarters Committee of the WPK, asking it to send them to the needy families. Following his example, officials of the Party organizations and government organs at different levels, ministries and central institutions, to say nothing of officials of the WPK Central Committee, worked with devotion for the safety of the people, donating money, daily necessities, food grains and medicines for the families that were in need of help. 

Many ordinary people, too, donated money, daily necessities and food grains they had saved to the war veterans, honoured disabled ex-soldiers and those who were experiencing difficulties in living. 

Virus-Free Zone

On August 12 people throughout the DPRK, except those in the border and frontline areas, showed up without wearing masks. What does it suggest?

First, the country has physically become a virus-free zone. 

So far whenever their situation got better in terms of the spread of the malignant virus, many countries lowered the level of anti-epidemic measures. 

The DPRK did not follow suit. Even when there was no other fever case, the country did not get relaxed. After closely watching the anti-epidemic situation for more than ten days to be absolutely sure about the security of its people, it uninstalled the top-level emergency anti-epidemic system and then allowed its people to go about without wearing masks.

It shows that there are no infections in the territory of the country.

Second, the country is confident that it is ready to cope with any public health crisis in the future. 

The country had demanded that its people wear masks compulsorily even when the virus had not made inroads into its territory for the material and technical foundations of its public health sector were weak and the anti-epidemic system was inelastic. 

 It achieved great victory in the anti-epidemic war on the strength of all-people resistance and all-people turnout, the unique superiority of its style of socialism and in this course gained rich experience. At present it is pushing forward with the work of strengthening the state anti-epidemic capability, including consolidating the material and technical foundations of the public health sector and establishing a well-regulated anti-epidemic system. That it has set up a higher anti-epidemic wall to prevent the infiltration of other malignant viruses and that it is confident that it can cope with any critical situation on its own–this is a dignified look of the DPRK, a virus-free zone, which has allowed its people not to wear masks.