Notsofarfromthisverysecretivenationbuttellus a bitmoreaboutwhat's goingonorwhatyoucantellusconsideringthatofficiallyCovidisnowstartingtotakeitstollinNorthKoreaabout 2.5 yearsintothispandemic.
That's right.
Itisquite a startlingadmissionbythegovernmentthere, therehadlongbeensuspicionsthatthereuhthatitwasunlikelythatNorthKoreawouldentirelyescapethisglobalpandemic.
Um, andexpertswetalkedtosaidthatthatshowsperhaps a weaknessinintheircapabilitiesandabletotestthesheernumberofpeoplewithsymptomsthererightnow.
Andso I thinkgoingforward, there's goingtocontinuetobequestionsovernotonlythenumbers, butalsotheircapabilityandbeingabletohelppeopleandpreventwidespreaddeaths.
Justhowbaddoyouthinkthisoutbreakcouldgetconsideringsuch a poorhealthcaresystem?
Novaccinesandsanctionsontopofthat.
So, NorthKoreahas a relativelyhighnumberofeducateddoctorsandstaffandanduhandhealthcaresystemthatgivenitsuh, youknow, authoritariannatureofthegovernment, canbeveryquicklymobilizedanddeployedaroundthecountry.
However, theyhavechronicshortagesofsupplies, medicines, equipment, allofthat.
However, there's beennosignofvaccineswhichhavebeenkeytokeepingatleastthedeathratesloweraroundtheworldandareseenaskeytoallowingNorthKoreatoeventuallyopenupandprotectitsalreadybatteredeconomy.
Uh, therearesomeobserverswhohavelookedatatthiskindofuhratherunprecedentedstatemediacoverageofumthisfirstoutbreakas a possiblesignthatNorthKoreaismovingtowardsthat, thatthey'regettingreadytopotentiallyacceptsomeofthisaid.
Um, they'vealreadyopenedtheirbordersslightlyrelativetowhattheyhadbefore, Againin a in a inanimpairment, apparentacknowledgementthattheydoneedtoeasesomeofthecontrolsthattheyhavehadtheir.