N. Korea reports no coronavirus cases: WHO report

Published : May 11, 2021 - 09:40 Updated : May 11, 2021 - 09:40

A health worker sanitizing Pyongyang Station in the capital to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus. (KCNA-Yonhap)

North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on around 26,000 people so far but found no infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.

According to the WHO's weekly report on COVID-19, 751 North Koreans underwent virus tests from April 23-29, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 25,986 so far, but none were found to have been infected.

Of the 751 newly tested citizens, 139 people showed flu-like symptoms but all of them turned out to be those of acute respiratory illnesses, the report said.

North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free but has taken relatively swift and tough measures against the pandemic, such as imposing strict border controls since early last year.

The North is expected to receive around 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines through a global vaccine distribution program, but they have not been delivered to the country yet. (Yonhap)