N. Korea reports no coronavirus cases: WHO report

Published : Jul 13, 2021 - 10:24 Updated : Jul 13, 2021 - 10:24

Students take a class while wearing masks at Okryu Elementary School in Pyongyang on June 3, 2020, the first day of belated school reopening due to COVID-19. (Photo captured from the homepage of Echo of Unification)

North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on around 35,000 people so far but found no infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday, amid the global spread of the more contagious delta variant.

According to the WHO's weekly report on COVID-19, 718 North Koreans underwent virus tests from June 25 to July 1, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 32,512, but none were found to have been infected.

Of the 718 newly tested citizens, 127 people with symptoms turned out to be those with flu-like illness or acute respiratory illness, 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 was 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)