North Korea blames 'alien things' near border with South for Covid-19 outbreak: Report

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In a bizarre news, North Korean health authorities have claimed that its Covid-19 outbreak originated in an area bordering South Korea as local residents came into contact with "alien" stuff there, a state media report said.

Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) cited probe into the transmission route of the Omicron variant outbreak, which Pyongyang made public on May 12. "The investigation results showed that several persons coming from the area of Ipho-ri in Kumgang County in Kangwon Province to the capital city in mid-April were in fever," Yonhap News Agency quoted the KCNA report as saying. "A sharp increase of fever cases was witnessed among their contacts and that a group of fevered persons emerged in the area of Ipho-ri for the first time."

According to the report, an 18-year-old soldier and a five-year-old child came in contact with "alien things" in the area in early April and they had tested positive for the virus after showing symptoms.

State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters issued an instruction stressing the need to "vigilantly deal with alien things coming by wind and other climate phenomena and balloons in the areas along the demarcation line and borders".

The instruction also called for strengthening the reporting system of the "alien things" and measures to strictly remove them, according to the KCNA.

Meanwhile, North Korea for the second consecutive day reported less than 500 Covid-19 cases.

With inputs from IANS