North Korea leader, Kim Jong-un says, rapidly spreading Covid-19 outbreak is a “great disaster” for the country.
According to the State Media, Mr Kim has called for an all-out battle to tackle the spread of the virus during an emergency meeting on Saturday.
It comes after officials announced the first confirmed cases on Thursday – although experts believe the virus has likely been circulating for some time.
There are fears a major outbreak could have dire consequences in North Korea.
Its population of 25 million is vulnerable due to the lack of a vaccination programme and poor healthcare system.
State media reports that 27 people have died since April after suffering a fever.
The reports do not say whether they tested positive for Covid, apart from one death in the capital Pyongyang which was confirmed to be a case of the Omicron variant.