N. Korea steps up coronavirus quarantine in coastal areas: paper

North Korea's main newspaper on Saturday reported on military efforts to strengthen the monitoring of coastal areas and the responsibility of front-line health care workers in a stepped-up campaign against the new coronavirus.

The Rodong Sinmun published articles highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong push to prevent COVID-19 transmissions, as the virus continues to resurge around the world, including in South Korea.

"Surveillance posts deployed along the coastal areas are strengthening the anti-virus monitoring of maritime areas and further increasing requirements to report immediately to relevant organizations so as not to miss even a trivial abnormality," one article read.

The article introduced military quarantine efforts in the two towns of Haeju and Sonchon.

In a separate article, the paper emphasized the role of health care and medical professionals.

"One of the important issues related to robustly strengthening emergency quarantine strongholds is about health care workers fulfilling their high responsibilities for carrying out their jobs while remaining vigilant again and again about their work," the article read.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a key meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, during which he called for a stronger anti-pandemic campaign. (Yonhap)