North Korea "221 Foreigners Released from COVID Quarantine" Continues Full-Scale Epidemic Prevention Efforts

WHO "No COVID-19 Cases Reported Yet in North Korea"

On the 4th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea is further strengthening its measures against the novel coronavirus infection across the country.

North Korea announced on the 6th that it has lifted quarantine measures for some foreigners who had been isolated as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the same day, North Korea's state-run media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported, "Out of about 380 foreigners who were quarantined and under strict medical observation, 221 have been released from quarantine."

North Korea had previously stated that it quarantined about 380 foreigners due to COVID-19, but this is the first time it has officially disclosed the number of foreigners released from quarantine.

As part of its COVID-19 response, North Korea reportedly imposed about a month-long home quarantine on diplomats stationed in Pyongyang, which was lifted as of the 2nd of this month.

Recently, North Korean media also confirmed that there are about 7,000 "medical surveillance subjects," presumed to be under home quarantine, in South and North Pyongan Provinces and Kangwon Province.

The agency indicated the continued presence of "medical surveillance subjects" under quarantine by stating, "Under the unified command of the Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters, the National Planning Commission and provincial and central institutions are actively carrying out projects to smoothly produce and supply necessary materials to the medical surveillance subjects."

It also reported, "Great national and social attention is being paid to ensuring sanitary conditions at quarantine locations and for medical surveillance subjects, as well as to the supply of medicines, medical equipment, and other materials."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated that no confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in North Korea so far.

Michael Ryan, WHO Emergency Response Team leader, said at a press briefing held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 5th (local time), "North Korea is in a dangerous situation as it borders COVID-19 outbreak areas," but added, "WHO has not yet received any reports of confirmed cases."

He emphasized the importance of North Korea being well-prepared for COVID-19, stating, "If confirmed cases occur, we are ready to go at any time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.