WHO confirms North Korea is 'free' of the novel coronavirus.
The World Health Organization said North Korea has tested more than 700 people for the novel coronavirus, all of whom tested negative, and more than 500 are in quarantine.
As of April 2nd, North Korea had tested 709 people, including 698 citizens and 11 foreigners, but none tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Edwin Salvador, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in North Korea, said in an email sent to CNN today.
North Korea is currently placing 509 people under mandatory quarantine, including 507 citizens and two foreigners. Nearly 25,000 people have completed their 30-day quarantine period.
Dr. Salvador stated that the North Korean Ministry of Health provides weekly reports on the domestic pandemic situation and that laboratories there have sufficient capacity to test for the novel coronavirus thanks to supplies provided by China in January.
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| A North Korean medical worker (left) instructs a caregiver on preventative measures at a childcare facility in Siwon County, North Hwanghae Province, on March 22. Photo:KCNA. |
Pak Myong-su, head of North Korea's General Bureau for Emergency Disease Prevention and Control, said that "not a single person has been infected with the novel coronavirus" in the country thanks to scientifically-based preventive measures such as testing and quarantining incoming travelers, disinfecting all goods, closing borders, and halting sea and air routes.
Covid-19 originated in China in December 2019 and has appeared in more than 200 countries and territories, infecting over 1.5 million people, causing over 88,000 deaths, and resulting in over 330,000 recoveries.
