“Yet To Find An Infection”: North Korea Tells WHO It Has Detected No Covid-19 Cases

In a surprising development, North Korea has informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) that it has not detected a single case of the novel coronavirus which has ravaged the countries around the world, reports Mint.

North Korea reportedly told the global health authority that it tested more than 30,000 people for the coronavirus through 10 June, but has yet to find a single infection.

In a monitoring report released on Tuesday (22 June), the WHO said that North Korea tested 733 people between 4-10 June, of which 149 were with influenza-like illnesses or severe respiratory infections.

Experts, however, have raised severe doubts over the claims by Pyongyang citing the poor health infrastructure in the country and its porous border with China.

It should be noted that North Korea has banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely restricted cross-border traffic and trade. It has described its anti-virus efforts as a “matter of national existence".

The self-imposed lockdown has caused further strain on an economy already battered by decades of mismanagement and crippling US-led sanctions over the country's nuclear weapons programme.