North Korea testing, quarantining for COVID-19: WHO
08 April, 2020
North Korea, one of only a small number of countries not to have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19, has said that it continues testing and has more than 500 people in quarantine, the World Health Organization (WHO) told Reuters on Tuesday (Apr 7).
The WHO, which said it turned out acquiring "weekly updates" from medical ministry, said that the reclusive country had the capability to test coronaviruses in its national reference laboratory in the capital Pyongyang.
"As of 2 April, 709 people - 11 foreigners and 698 nationals - have been tested for COVID-19. There is absolutely no report of a COVID-19 case. There are 509 persons in quarantine - two foreigners and 507 nationals," Dr Edwin Salvador, the WHO Representative to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said in an email reply.
"Since 31 December, 24,842 persons have already been released from quarantine, which includes 380 foreigners," he said.
The WHO has been informed that North Korea received primers and probes for use with PCR diagnostic tests from its ally China in January, he added. The WHO has sent supplies of protective equipment.
The WHO's website shows the latest global tally at nearly 1.3 million officially reported cases and 72,614 deaths in some 206 countries and territories - appearing to exclude North Korea, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Yemen.
A UN human rights expert has needed lifting international sanctions against countries including North Korea - imposed because of its nuclear and missile programmes - to ensure that food supplies reach hungry populations through the pandemic.
The Geneva-based WHO said in February that North Korea had reported checking nearly 7,300 travellers over a six-week period to Feb 9. Medical ministry said 141 travellers with fevers had tested negative for the novel coronavirus, it said.
Some foreign experts have expressed doubts that North Korea, which shares borders with China and South Korea, both hard-hit by epidemics, has not detected any infections.
North Korea has stepped up border checks and imposed quarantine measures. The head folks forces in South Korea said in mid-March that North Korea had its military forces on lockdown for about 30 days and had recently resumed training.
"We are on lockdown ... We are incredibly wary of the spread of the virus," a North Korean diplomat at its UN mission in Geneva told Reuters. "I am aware we've no cases, zero cases."
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