Correction at 10:10 EST and update at 20:25 EST: This article has been corrected to reflect the fact that hundreds of foreigners still remain in Pyongyang, and updated to include comment from a British government spokesperson.

Britain’s embassy in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang has closed and its staff have now left the country, multiple sources told NK News on Wednesday.

The surprise closure is linked to coronavirus-related restrictions in place since early this year, and follows a similar evacuation of a number of other diplomats and foreigners resident in the DPRK capital in March.

The diplomats left North Korea by land, NK News understands, crossing the DPRK’s border with China earlier today. Flights out of the country remain on hold.

The move still leaves hundreds of foreigners resident in North Korea’s capital, including diplomats from the Swedish and Russian embassies and a small number of aid workers, though absent representatives from Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Resident diplomats had previously raised concerns about the severity of the DPRK authorities’ coronavirus-prevention rules, which saw the country close its borders and place them under effective house arrest for over a month earlier in the year.

At the height of those restrictions, a request from Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to fly a chartered aircraft to the country for support and evacuation purposes was rejected by DPRK authorities.

And while the measures have been reported to have been relaxed in recent weeks, the Russian state-run outlet TASS reported on Wednesday that the flag at the British embassy in Pyongyang had been taken down and a convoy of diplomatic vehicles had been seen departing.

A spokesperson from the British FCO confirmed the closure to NK News but said it was not meant to be permanent.

“The UK has temporarily closed its embassy in Pyongyang and our staff have departed the country,” the spokesperson said. “This decision has been made because the DPRK restrictions on entry to the country have made it impossible to rotate our staff and sustain the operation of the Embassy.”

“We maintain diplomatic relations with the DPRK and will seek to re-establish our presence in Pyongyang as soon as we are able to return to smooth Embassy operations. Colin Crooks remains our Ambassador to the DPRK,” the spokesperson continued.

“We have advised against all but essential travel to North Korea since August 2017,” they added.