Seoul: North Korea told the World Health Organization (WHO) that, as of June 10, it has tested more than 30,000 people for coronavirus, but the country has not yet reported a single case of infection. The matter has also not come to the fore. The WHO said in a surveillance report on Tuesday that, according to investigational North Korea’s data, 733 people were tested from June 4 to June 10, of whom 149 were suffering from influenza-like illnesses or severe respiratory infections.
Experts are skeptical of North Korea’s claim that it does not have a single case of infection, while its health infrastructure is very poor and it shares borders with China, its biggest ally and considered its economic lifeline. Describing its anti-virus efforts as “a matter of national survival”, North Korea has banned tourists, sent diplomats out, and completely banned cross-border traffic and trade.
The self-imposed lockdown has put further pressure on the country’s economy. North Korea’s economy is already in crisis due to decades of mismanagement and US-led sanctions imposed on it because of the country’s nuclear weapons program. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un asked officials during a political conference last week to be prepared to keep COVID-19 restrictions in place for a long time, indicating the country was not yet ready to open its borders.
