This is fake, or at least highly distorted. The DPRK government was warning that airborne particulates from the dust storm can cause health issues and are recommending that people stay inside, comparing it to the Covid quarantine procedures.
Their government is taking Covid very seriously (probably a little too seriously since there haven't been any reported cases in NK) so they are trying to talk about the "staunch quarantine front" as much as they can and impress on people how serious it is. As a result in articles about the dust storm, the first paragraph talks about the dust and how people should shelter inside like they are suppose to do if there is a Covid outbreak, then the remaining article will go into the usual Covid spiel at the end of a lot of NK Covid articles. Its a weird conflation of the two topics but nowhere does North Korean news say Covid is actually carried by the dust strom. But Western press pretends like North Korean News is saying just that, becuase they believe that North Korea is comically backwards and they don't have anyone who is even slightly versed on NK issues in their newsroom (let alone read Korean).
The full article from Rodong Sinmun is here, Korean Google translates into English fairly well: Link
To thoroughly prevent possible damage in connection with today's yellow dust expected to affect the entire region of our country, it is an ultra-fine task to keep the quarantine front. Yellow dust, which contains various harmful ingredients, directly acts on the respiratory tract of a person and has a very negative effect. The damage is more severe in the case of elderly people with weak immune function and infants. In particular, in light of the current situation that the new coronavirus infection continues to spread around the world and the data that malignant viruses can be transferred by air, etc., the necessity to deal with the yellow dust phenomenon consciously and to take thorough measures is becoming more prominent. All workers, workers, and residents must strictly observe the quarantine regulations and the order of action while firmly maintaining a more tense and mobilized posture than ever before with the greatest alertness, even for a single natural phenomenon, while the yellow dust phenomenon persists. Above all, it is important to refrain from outdoor activities and never go outside unnecessarily. Members who go out inevitably must follow the quarantine regulations, including wearing masks.
In all units and homes, windows and doors should be thoroughly closed, specific measures should be taken to prevent dust from entering the interior, and after the yellow dust phenomenon disappears, cleaning and disinfection projects should be conducted intensively and intensively.
We must focus our efforts on cleaning and disinfecting roads and public places. All workers, especially emergency quarantine agencies and workers in the quarantine sector, standing on the forefront of emergency quarantine, must clearly recognize the danger of invading malicious viruses within our precincts, and aggressively conduct operations and commands to thoroughly execute quarantine measures. do. All citizens should accept, awaken, and awaken the strict adherence to the established order of conduct and quarantine regulations as a vital issue directly connected to the destiny of oneself and one's family, the well-being of the people, and the security of the motherland. Let's do our best as a member of society and as a citizen in a responsible business that will thoroughly strengthen our barriers to quarantine by breaking away from the project to thoroughly prevent the influx of malicious viruses.
I really don't know how you get "North Korea thinks dust storms carry coronavirus" from that. Or even think that is the most important part of the article...
This is fake, or at least highly distorted. The DPRK government was warning that airborne particulates from the dust storm can cause health issues and are recommending that people stay inside, comparing it to the Covid quarantine procedures.
Their government is taking Covid very seriously (probably a little too seriously since there haven't been any reported cases in NK) so they are trying to talk about the "staunch quarantine front" as much as they can and impress on people how serious it is. As a result in articles about the dust storm, the first paragraph talks about the dust and how people should shelter inside like they are suppose to do if there is a Covid outbreak, then the remaining article will go into the usual Covid spiel at the end of a lot of NK Covid articles. Its a weird conflation of the two topics but nowhere does North Korean news say Covid is actually carried by the dust strom. But Western press pretends like North Korean News is saying just that, becuase they believe that North Korea is comically backwards and they don't have anyone who is even slightly versed on NK issues in their newsroom (let alone read Korean).
The full article from Rodong Sinmun is here, Korean Google translates into English fairly well: Link
Nuh-uh! They think KJU was born after Kim Jong Il slept with a unicorn!!!11!11
Reporter Jo Hyang-mi More From Rodong Sinmun (Kr)
I really don't know how you get "North Korea thinks dust storms carry coronavirus" from that. Or even think that is the most important part of the article...