North Korea may restrict the flow of cargo into the country in response to soaring COVID-19 case numbers in neighboring China, experts told NK News on Wednesday, with the DPRK facing the possibility of an “apocalyptical” outbreak if the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads through the country’s unvaccinated population.

Mainland China reported 5,280 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, including more than 3,000 cases in the northeastern Jilin Province bordering the DPRK. The rapid virus resurgence has led authorities to impose new quarantine restrictions and construct makeshift hospitals, with one senior official describingthe province as “in a last-ditch battle”