N. K.leader criticizes problem in early response to virus crisis in politburo meeting: state media
SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo meeting to discuss nationwide antivirus measures and urged officials to stabilize the pandemic situation after North Korea reported its first COVID-19 case last week, state media said Wednesday.
The North also reported more than 232,000 people with fever symptoms nationwide and six additional deaths, raising total fatalities to 62, as of 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
Kim said that "immaturity in the state capacity for coping with the crisis, revealed from the early period of trial in the epidemic prevention facing us for the first time since the state building, and the non-positive attitude, slackness and non-activity of state leading officials fully disclosed the vulnerable points and vacuum of our work," according to the KCNA.
He then called for "redoubled efforts" to stabilize people's lives and stressed the need to "more scrupulously organize the work for providing the living conditions and the supply of daily necessities."
The total number of fever cases stood at more than 1.72 million as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, of which more than 1.02 million have fully recovered and at least 691,170 being treated.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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