North Korea declares state of emergency over suspected Covid-19 outbreak

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un placed the city of Kaesong near the border with South Korea under total lockdown over coronavirus concerns and declared a state of emergency to contain a potential outbreak, the North's state media reported Sunday.

The step was taken Friday afternoon after a person was found with suspected Covid-19 symptoms in the city, the Korean Central News Agency said. It said the person is a runaway who had fled to South Korea years ago before illegally crossing the border into the North early last week.