Despite claiming that it has ‘zero cases of COVID-19,’ North Korea demanded its people stay inside for fear that yellow dust traveling through the air from China could carry the “malignant virus” into the country.

On Wednesday, North Korean state media aired special weather segments that warned of yellow dust sweeping across the country on Oct. 22. The next morning, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang stated in a Facebook post that the DPRK’s foreign ministry told diplomatic missions and other international organizations that it “highly recommends” they stay inside and avoid opening windows throughout the day.