18th May 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=663 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian The business departments handling of Covid support schemes left an open goal to fraudsters and embezzlers that has added billions to taxpayer woes parliaments spending watchdog has found. In its review of the annual report of the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy BEIS the Public Accounts Committee PAC said it recognised that the government offered crucial support to businesses at the height of the pandemic. However it said efforts to identify fraud and error had come too late given that by the time they are confirmed the money will have been spent and trails will have long ago gone cold. BEIS says it saw this risk coming but its really not clear where government was looking when it set up its initial Covid response said the PACs chair the Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/18/covid-support-schemes-left-open-goal-to-fraudsters-says-watchdog 18th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

The New York Times Citing high community transmission and rising hospitalizations from a fifth wave of coronavirus cases New York City health officials on Monday strongly recommended that all individuals wear medicalgrade masks in offices grocery stores and other public indoor settings citywide. The new recommendations issued in a health advisory by the city health commissioner came as the city approached the orange or high alert level for Covid19 a benchmark it expects to hit in the coming days. The new advisory also called on those who are at increased risk for severe illness including unvaccinated children under 5 and people over 65 to avoid nonessential indoor gatherings and crowded settings. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/16/world/covid-19-mandates-vaccine-cases 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg A brewing trade fight between the US and China may unravel a nearly twoyear effort to ease intellectualproperty rules for producing Covid19 vaccines and cast further doubt on the World Trade Organizations reputation as a negotiating forum. US President Joe Bidens top trade official in Geneva said any WTO agreement related to Covid19 vaccines must explicitly exclude China from being able to benefit from the deal. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-16/us-china-spat-may-spoil-global-deal-for-a-vaccine-patent-waiver 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

Financial Times African leaders have called on the organisation in charge of procurement for the Covax vaccine sharing scheme to commit to buying at least 30 per cent of all Covid19 jabs produced on the continent as the future of Africas biggest manufacturing facility hangs in the balance. Covid19 vaccine production at the Aspen Pharmacare facility in Port Elizabeth South Africa ground to a halt in late March because of a dropoff in demand putting its future in doubt and threatening to undermine African Union plans to increase local jab production. https://www.ft.com/content/8627f8ed-6976-4d2f-9cdd-837e5e309213 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

Euractiv Entering Austria no longer requires proof of vaccination recovery passes or testing after all COVID19related entry requirements were dropped from Monday. Provided there is no extension or change these measures presented by the health ministry Friday evening 13 May should remain lifted until the end of September. According to the ministry the current epidemiological situation justified lifting the entry regulations. https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/austria-lifts-covid-19-entry-requirements/ 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters.com Japan said on Tuesday it would start conducting test tourism in the form of limited package tours in May as a way of gathering information prior to a full reopening of the country to tourism. Though tourism was a major pillar of Japans economy tourists have not been permitted to enter since it adopted strict border controls in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-announces-limited-test-tourism-may-step-full-re-opening-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters.com Indonesia will drop requirements for people to mask up outdoors and for vaccinated travellers to show negative predeparture tests officials said on Tuesday as COVID19 infections decline in the Southeast Asian country. Masks are no longer required outdoors as the pandemic is getting more and more controlled President Joko Widodo said in a statement streamed online. But masks must still be worn indoors and on public transportation he said https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-drop-outdoor-mask-mandate-covid-19-infections-drop-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

STAT News Public health messaging about Covid19 has focused almost exclusively on hospitalizations and deaths. The omission of long Covid which may affect between 8 million and 23 million Americans deprives the public of the knowledge necessary to understand the risks of various activities make informed decisions about risktaking and understand what is happening to them if they feel sick for an extended period. Local and national public health entities continue to characterize infections not resulting in hospitalization as mild and most media have followed their lead. Authorities have been shaping a narrative in which the primary risks from Covid are acute illness death and impacts on health care systems. Yet evidence is rapidly mounting that postacute sequelae of SARSCoV2 infection PASC or long Covid can cause symptoms often debilitating symptoms that persist for months or even years after infection. https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/17/omitting-long-covid-from-pandemic-messaging-is-harmful-for-public-health/ 17th May 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The economy of Chinas capital Beijing took a hit in April as authorities wrestled with a new COVID outbreak telling residents to avoid going out or work from home and halting many businesses. Retail sales in the city of nearly 22 million people a key gauge of consumption shrank 16.05 in April from a year earlier according to Reuters calculations based on JanuaryApril data released by the citys statistics bureau on Tuesday outpacing the nations 11.1 contraction. https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/beijings-retail-industry-upended-by-covid-restrictions-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal Chinas economy descended deeper into a Covid19induced doldrums last month raising questions about whether Beijings planned stimulus measures can prevent a prolonged downturn. Consumer spending and factory output tumbled in April while growth in infrastructure investmentwhich Beijing has been counting on to prop up growth this yearslowed sharply Chinas National Bureau of Statistics reported Monday. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-economic-distress-deepens-as-lockdowns-drag-on-11652703162?mod=hp_lead_pos10 18th May 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Chinas strict COVID19 controls will hamper foreign investment into the country for years to come as limits on travel block the pipeline for projects the President of the American Chamber of Commerce warned on Tuesday. There are few signs that American companies are leaving the China market but the yearslong process of research and due diligence for projects has been delayed Michael Hart said at an event launching the chambers annual report. https://www.reuters.com/markets/financials/chinas-covid-controls-will-impact-foreign-investment-years-us-lobby-2022-05-17/ 18th May 2022

Exit Strategies

South China Morning Post Hong Kong will press ahead with a policy requiring residents to receive the third dose of a Covid19 vaccine to enter most premises by the end of the month the citys leader has confirmed although a million people have yet to receive such a shot. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuetngor on Tuesday said the third phase of the vaccine pass scheme would be implemented on May 31 as planned even as the administration faces mounting pressure to review its effectiveness. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3178018/coronavirus-hong-kong-push-next-stage-vaccine 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal Shanghai marked a third straight day with no community transmissions of Covid19 a key milestone toward ending an outbreak that has brought Chinas financial capital to a grinding halt. Shanghai on Tuesday reported 777 new locally transmitted cases from a day earlier compared with more than 25000 daily infections at the height of the outbreak in midApril. All the infections were found among 910000 people in isolation facilities or confined at homea sign that for now the viruss ability to spread more widely in the city of 25 million people has been curtailed. https://www.wsj.com/articles/shanghais-covid-19-case-count-drops-as-city-prepares-to-reopen-11652792483 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

Hong Kong Free Press Chief Executive Carrie Lam has confirmed that the next phase of Hong Kongs Covid19 Vaccine Pass will go ahead as scheduled on May 31 despite experts urging the government to relax the requirement for those under 60. Lams confirmation came on Tuesday after two University of Hong Kong HKU medics wrote an opinion piece in Ming Pao arguing that the scheme which will require Hongkongers to have received three doses of a Covid19 to enter certain types of premises from May 31 was coercive. https://hongkongfp.com/2022/05/17/covid-19-hong-kong-leader-confirms-next-phase-of-vaccine-pass-to-go-ahead-as-health-experts-urge-relaxation/ 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

STAT News The federal government has distributed Covid19 vaccines and treatments for free so far but most likely the handouts wont last forever. At some point Covid19 vaccines and treatments will be bought and sold just like other drugs and medical products. But big questions loom about how and when the transition will happen about how bumpy it will be. The issue has gained urgency in recent weeks as Congress has been reluctant to provide the Biden administration with any additional funds to combat the Covid19 pandemic. That means the government is out of money to purchase more vaccines oral antivirals and therapeutics not to mention nextgeneration vaccines and therapies tailored to particular variants. https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/17/what-happens-when-the-government-stops-buying-covid-19-vaccines/ 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters U.S. health regulators are expected to authorize a booster shot of PfizerBioNTechs COVID19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 as soon as Tuesday the New York Times reported on Monday citing people familiar with the matter. The companies submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the authorization last month. They have cited data from a mid to latestage study showing a third dose of their shot increased protection against the original coronavirus version and the Omicron variant among children in the age group https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-authorize-pfizers-covid-booster-shot-younger-kids-soon-nyt-2022-05-16/ 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press The government website for people to request free COVID19 athome tests from the U.S. government is now accepting a third round of orders. The White House announced Tuesday that U.S. households can request an additional eight free athome tests to be shipped by the U.S. Postal Service. The announcement comes as coronavirus cases are rising again in some areas of the country. https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-1c97bc41f491dc1c7c27d952cfb0915d 17th May 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Ecommerce group JD.com Inc beat estimates for quarterly revenue as more people shopped on its platform following COVID lockdowns in China but its CEO was cautious on the outlook due to logistical disruptions and sluggish consumption. The resurgence of COVID19 in the worlds secondlargest economy in March and the strict lockdowns it has taken since to curb its spread including in its most populous city Shanghai have heavily disrupted normal life and business activity. https://www.reuters.com/technology/jdcom-beats-quarterly-revenue-estimates-increased-e-commerce-demand-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Plans by COVIDhit Chinese cities to exit or avoid lockdown are more fraught and uncertain than ever as the pursuit of zero cases grows more prolonged taxing and complex with the highly infectious Omicron variant demanding quicker and tougher steps. The lockdowns have led the World Health Organization chief to describe Chinas zeroCOVID goal as unsustainable but China says its approach will protect the lives of its people and economy in the longer run. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-hit-chinese-cities-seek-exit-painful-lockdown-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong Un slammed his countrys response to its first officially confirmed COVID19 outbreak as immature accusing government officials of inadequacies and inertia as fever cases swept the country state media reported on Wednesday. North Korea reported 232880 more people with fever symptoms and six more deaths after the countrys first admission of the COVID outbreak last week. It did not say how many people had tested positive for COVID19. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-reports-232880-more-people-with-fever-symptoms-amid-covid-19-outbreak-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg As its Covid Zero lockdowns have become harsher and more economically disruptive China has repeatedly invoked the specter of millions of vulnerable elderly people dying as justification for its strict virus approach. What remains unaddressed is why with an abundant supply of homegrown vaccines and vast enforcement power so many of Chinas over60s remain unvaccinated more than a year after shots became available. China is now paying a price for this vulnerability with its economy struggling under the weight of chaotic lockdowns and increasingly unpredictable measures aimed at snuffing out all cases and shielding the community. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-16/china-s-covid-exit-hinges-on-seniors-who-don-t-want-vaccines 17th May 2022

Partisan Exits

Associated Press Administrators at an elite Beijing university have backed down from plans to further tighten pandemic restrictions on students as part of Chinas zeroCOVID strategy after a weekend protest at the school according to students Tuesday. Graduate students at Peking University staged the rare but peaceful protest Sunday over the schools decision to erect a sheetmetal wall to keep them further sequestered on campus while allowing faculty to come and go freely. Discontent had already been simmering over regulations prohibiting them from ordering in food or having visitors and daily COVID19 testing. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-shanghai-china-cbcac582b7d8a92af0ce76e14847b1af 17th May 2022

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Chinas worst COVID19 outbreak has frayed nerves and stirred resentment among many residents of Shanghai but some have thrived in the face of adversity stepping up with bright ideas and commitment to help their communities through the crisis. Not surprisingly many such people have used the skills they developed in their jobs to help others navigate the frightening new world of forced quarantine and lockdowns that no one dreamed of before COVID. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-residents-leverage-excel-skills-management-savvy-navigate-lockdown-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Shanghai achieved its longawaited milestone of three consecutive days with no new COVID19 cases outside quarantine zones on Tuesday but most residents will have to put up with confinement for a while longer before resuming more normal life. For other cities in China that have been under lockdown three days with no new cases in the community usually means zero COVID status and the beginning of the lifting of restrictions. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-achieves-zero-covid-status-normal-life-is-weeks-away-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Rising COVID19 cases are driving up the use of therapeutics with Pfizer Incs oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid seeing a 315 jump over the past four weeks U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. The increase in U.S. cases and hospitalizations is starting to affect recommendations on behavior with New York City the nations most populous city advising stricter mask usage but stopping short of new mandates. Apple has scrapped return to office plans. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-use-pfizers-covid-antiviral-paxlovid-up-315-hhs-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized the use of a booster shot of Pfizer PFE.N and BioNTechs COVID19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 making everyone in the country over the age of 5 eligible for a third shot. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC still needs to sign off on the shots before they can be administered. Children below the age of five are not yet eligible for a COVID19 vaccine in the United States. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-fda-authorizes-pfizers-covid-booster-shot-young-children-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

PharmaTimes The team at Imperial College London will now expand the MELODY study to include immunosuppressed young people who have had an organ transplant to assess the levels of protection the vaccines offer to immunosuppressed people across age groups. Dr Michelle Willicombe the study lead at Imperial College London commented Information on how young immunosuppressed people have responded to vaccination and the protection it affords them from infection is currently lacking so we are delighted for the additional support so we can include children in MELODY to provide ongoing evidence. If we can understand more about how this group of people respond to vaccines then this will inform future vaccination strategies and also identify those young people who are most at risk of catching COVID19. https://www.pharmatimes.com/news/covid-19_vaccine_study_focuses_on_young_and_immunosuppressed_1448501 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP In the first study researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from 74208 drivethru polymerase chain reaction PCR COVID19 test results from children aged 5 to 11 years and 47744 tests from aged 12 to 15 from Dec 26 2021 to Feb 21 2022. The tests were conducted by a single pharmacy chain at 6897 sites in 49 states Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The researchers compared the effectiveness of two Pfizer COVID19 vaccine doses at least 2 weeks before testing with no vaccination in children and two or three doses 2 or more weeks earlier in adolescents. Overall the study involved 30888 positive tests and 43209 negative tests from children aged 5 to 11 and 22273 positive tests and 25471 negative tests from 12 to 15yearolds. Median age was 10 years 50.2 were girls 70.1 were White and 25.7 were Hispanic or Latino. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/05/covid-vaccines-may-cut-hospital-omicron-cases-youth 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma As the EU gears up for a COVID19 booster campaign this fall the bloc has delayed vaccine deliveries from Pfizer and BioNTech. The change creates time for officials to secure potential variantadapted shots that could score authorization in the months to come. Pfizer and BioNTechwhich last year pledged to supply Europe with up to 1.8 billion doses of their mRNA vaccine Comirnaty through 2023are pushing back deliveries scheduled for June through August by three months. The unspecified number of doses is now pegged to arrive in the EU starting in September through the fourth quarter of 2022 Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday. The delivery update shouldnt crimp Pfizer and BioNTechs 2022 revenue guidance or fullyear delivery commitments to Europe the companies said. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/pfizer-biontech-tweak-covid-shot-delivery-timing-europe-bloc-gears-potential-booster 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Jerusalem Post The PfizerBioNTech COVID19 vaccine prevented almost 700000 hospitalizations in the US and saved more than 70 billion in costs over one year a new study has found. Published on Sunday in the peerreviewed Journal of Medical Economics the study concluded that the vaccine prevented 8.7 million symptomatic cases of the virus in America as well as 690000 hospitalizations and over 110000 deaths. Additionally it saved over 30 billion in healthcare costs and over 40 billion in lost productivity the study found. The studys authors who all received some form of funding from Pfizer used a model with realworld and trial data to determine the number of symptomatic COVID19 cases hospitalizations and deaths that would have occurred without the Pfizer vaccine as well as the cost on the healthcare system and the economy. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/coronavirus/article-706898 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Nature Influenza vaccines have a surprising health benefit they might also prevent COVID19 particularly in its most severe forms. A study of more than 30000 healthcare workers in Qatar found that those who got a flu jab were nearly 90 less likely to develop severe COVID19 over the next few months compared with those who hadnt been recently vaccinated against flu. The study which was conducted in late 2020 before the rollout of COVID19 vaccines is in line with previous work suggesting that ramping up the immune system using influenza vaccines and other jabs could help the body to fend off the coronavirus SARSCoV2. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01315-9 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Times Airport sniffer dogs are highly adept at detecting the coronavirus according to the first published results from a trial in Finland. Researchers said that in future pandemics dogs could be used as the sole testing method when other approaches are not yet available. A team of dogs at an airport in Helsinki were able to match the results of PCR tests 98 per cent of the time. The team behind the study published in the online journal BMJ Global Health said it showed sniffer dogs could provide a valuable tool to contain the pandemic. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/731a83f2-d538-11ec-bb99-1bcd45646516?shareToken=c114652588bd768b8e70bfce3204a23f 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Eleven percent of Canadian patients who were discharged after hospitalization for COVID19 were readmitted to the hospital or died within 30 days of discharge according to a study today in CMAJ Canadian Medical Association Journal. The retrospective cohort study was based on the medical records of all adults hospitalized in Alberta and Ontario for SARSCoV2 from Jan 1 2020 to Sep 30 2021. A total of 46412 5.5 adults had a positive COVID19 test 14 days prior or during their hospital admission. Of these 8496 died in hospital and 34846 were discharged alive. Of those discharged 30336 had a typical hospital stay 30 days or less. A total of 4510 had a stay greater than 30 days and 14 required intensive care unit admission. The median length of hospital stay was 8 days. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/05/study-readmission-rate-covid-19-11 17th May 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

GP online Data for January 2022 from the UK Health Security Agency UKHSA show that almost six in 10 59.6 pregnant women had received one dose of COVID19 vaccine. This is a significant rise in uptake from the 48.7 recorded in November 2021 and saw the total number of pregnant women who had received their first dose rise to 125365 this January. Over half 50.6 had received two doses of vaccine by January another significant rise from the 38.4 recorded three months earlier. The total number of pregnant women double vaccinated by January was 88736. https://www.gponline.com/covid-19-vaccine-uptake-pregnant-women-rising-stark-inequality-remains/article/1756107 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Washington Post Eileen Wassermann struggles to calculate her daily risks at this stage of the coronavirus pandemic with infections drastically undercounted and mask mandates gone. The immunocompromised 69yearold ensconces herself in her SUV for the halfhour ferry ride across the Puget Sound from her home on Bainbridge Island to Seattle where she undergoes treatment for the rare inflammatory condition sarcoidosis. A retired scientist and lawyer who worked with drug companies Wassermann is comfortable analyzing coronavirus data. But she said current numbers which dont account for most athome test results are unreliable. My mode which sounds ridiculous maybe at this point is to be as cautious as I was at the beginning of 2020 said Wassermann who has received two booster doses of the coronavirus vaccine. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/05/17/latest-coronavirus-wave-us/ 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed a popular African destination in its high Covid19 risk category for travelers.South Africa renowned for its stunning vistas wildlife wineries and culture is now at Level 3. In total the CDC moved up four destinations to the high risk column on Monday https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cdc-covid-travel-risk-destinations-may-16/index.html 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered in England and Wales has fallen for the first time in nine weeks though the figure is likely to been affected by the May bank holiday. A total of 735 deaths registered in the seven days to May 6 mentioned Covid19 on the death certificate according to the Office for National Statistics ONS. This is down 35 weekonweek and is the lowest number since midMarch. It is also the first percentage drop since the beginning of March. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/office-for-national-statistics-england-covid-wales-b2080782.html 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian North Korea stands on the brink of a Covid19 catastrophe unless swift action is taken to provide vaccines and drug treatments experts have said as the number of people reported to have fallen ill rose to almost 1.5 million. The isolated country reported another big rise in new cases of what it continues to refer to as fever on Tuesday days after it admitted it had identified Covid19 infections for the first time since the start of the global pandemic. It recorded 269510 additional cases and six more deaths bringing the total number killed to 56 since late last month. About 1.48 million people have become ill with the virus since the first case was reported last Thursday and at least 663910 people were in quarantine according to official figures. The outbreak is almost certainly greater than the official tally given a lack of tests and resources to monitor and treat the sick. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/17/north-korea-on-brink-of-covid-19-catastrophe-say-experts 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters North Korea has sent aircraft to China to pick up medical supplies days after it confirmed its first COVID19 outbreak media reported on Tuesday. In some of its first international flights since the coronavirus pandemic began more than two years ago three Air Koryo planes from North Korea flew to the Chinese city of Shenyang on Monday and flew back with medical supplies later in the day South Koreas Yonhap news agency said citing unidentified sources. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korean-planes-pick-up-medical-supplies-china-media-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai reported 746 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases for May 16 down from 869 a day earlier data released on Tuesday showed. Confirmed symptomatic cases rose to 77 from 69 the previous day. There were zero cases found outside quarantined areas same as reported a day earlier. The city reported one new COVID19 related death compared with four a day earlier. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-reports-77-symptomatic-746-asymptomatic-covid-cases-may-16-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Measures taken in North Korea to fight the first reported COVID19 outbreak could have devastating consequences for human rights in the country a spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday. New restrictions could have dire consequences for people to meet their basic needs including getting enough food Liz Throssell told a briefing adding that any measures taken against the pandemic should be proportionate and necessary. The isolated country confirmed its first acknowledged COVID19 outbreak last week fuelling concerns over a major crisis due to lack of vaccines and medical infrastructure https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/covid-19-outbreak-north-korea-could-have-devastating-impact-human-rights-un-2022-05-17/ 17th May 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press North Korea on Tuesday reported another large jump in illnesses believed to be COVID19 and encouraged good health habits as a mass outbreak spreads through its unvaccinated population and military officers were deployed to distribute medicine. State media said the antivirus headquarters reported another 269510 people were found with fevers and six had died. That raises North Koreas deaths to 56 after more than 1.48 million people became ill with fever since late April. North Korea lacks test kits to confirm coronavirus infections in large numbers and the report didnt say how many of the fever cases were COVID19. The outbreak is almost certainly greater than the fever tally considering the lack of tests and resources to monitor and treat the sick. North Koreas virus response comes down to isolating people with symptoms at shelters and as of Tuesday at least 663910 people were in quarantine. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-government-and-politics-south-korea-north-b98efc771cd0ecdd21a61616abb2ce42 17th May 2022