North Korea has conducted Covid-19 tests on about 36,000 people but reported no confirmed cases so far, the World Health Organization said Wednesday in its COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report.
According to the report, 35,947 North Koreans underwent the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. The most recent tests were conducted from July 30 to Aug. 5 on 693 people -- 581 health care workers and 112 citizens with symptoms.
As the fear of Covid-19 and its variants continues worldwide, including the Korean Peninsula, North Korea’s Korean Central Television (KCTV) ordered strengthening of quarantine rules. Also, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North Korean Workers Party, reported the Covid-19 situation of South Korea for the first time in a year, the report said.
Insisting that it is a Covid-19 free zone, North Korea is reluctant to secure vaccines. Gavi, the vaccine alliance that runs COVAX, announced in March that it would supply 1.7million AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine doses by May. However, the shipments have been delayed due to various reasons.
According to Voice of America, North Korea is concerned about AZ vaccines’ safety and efficacy while disallowing the entry of international workers. At the same time, however, Pyongyang points to the global shortage of vaccines, denouncing vaccine nationalism in advanced countries.
However, North Korea has refrigeration problems, as it is not equipped with a cold chain system, essential for the distribution of mRNA vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer that need to be kept in ultra-cold refrigerators. Still, North Korea is reluctant to receive international help on upgrading the supply chain network.
The report presumed that North Korea’s refusal shows its fear of raising human rights issues in the country and the interference of outside powers in its internal affairs. On July 11, the North’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a warning to the U.S. on its website titled “Humanitarian aid must not be abused for impure political objectives.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently compared the current Covid-19 situation with the Korean War, indirectly acknowledging the reclusive state's enormous hardship.