Just a week into declaring a "shining victory" on COVID-19, Kim Jong-un's isolated nation said it detected four fever cases in its border region with China.
What Happened: North Korean health workers were testing the samples taken from people in the Ryanggang Province who exhibited fevers to confirm if they were suffering from a "malignant virus," the state news agency KCNA reported.
Last week, Kim declared a "shining victory" over COVID-19 and eased the face mask mandate and other social distancing rules in the country.
Before this, Pyongyang last reported its new virus cases on July 29.
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Kim's administration has immediately locked down the areas where the cases were first spotted and have initiated a plan to maintain tight restrictions and quarantines until the cause of the illness has been determined.
"(Health authorities) pay attention to the fact that those with fever had not been infected by the malignant epidemic," it said.
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The report said emergency anti-virus headquarters dispatched "talented epidemiological, virology and test experts to the area" to "trace all persons ... connected with the suspect cases, and persons going to and from the relevant area and keep them under strict medical observation."
Meanwhile, North Korea imported more than 1 million face masks and 15,000 pairs of rubber gloves from China in July, days before announcing victory over COVID-19.
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