Kim ordered “all cities and counties across the country to thoroughly lockdown their areas," so as to “completely block the transmission of malicious virus," according to KCNA.
The official KCNA news agency said samples taken from patients sick with fever in Pyongyang on Sunday were "consistent with" the virus' highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The country's top officials, including leader Kim Jong Un, held a crisis politburo meeting to discuss the outbreak and announced they would implement a "maximum emergency" virus control system.
KCNA said Kim told the meeting that "the goal was to eliminate the root within the shortest period of time." "He assured us that because of the people's high political awareness ...