Fever Cases Increase By 96,000: WHO Suspects COVID-19 In North Korea Is Worsening, Lacks Access To Actual Data And Situation

Illustration of COVID-19 in North Korea. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) has cast doubt on North Korea's claims about progress in handling the country's COVID-19 outbreak, saying it believes the situation is getting worse, not better, in the absence of independent data.

North Korean state media said the COVID-19 wave had eased, after the daily number of people with fevers reached 390,000 about two weeks ago.

Pyongyang has never directly confirmed how many people have tested positive for the coronavirus, but experts suspect the figures released through state-controlled media are underreported, making it difficult to assess the scale of the situation.

"We assume the situation is getting worse, not better," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan said in a video briefing.

He further explained, WHO does not have access to any privileged information, beyond the amount publicly reported by state media.

"We have real problems getting access to raw data and the actual situation on the ground," Ryan said, adding that the WHO was working with neighbors like South Korea and China to try to get a better picture.

Ryan said the WHO had offered assistance on several occasions, including vaccines and supplies for North Korea.

North Korea reported another 96,610 people showing fever amid a nationwide lockdown, which aims to contain the first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. However, the media did not say whether there were any new deaths.

KCNA said the provinces were intensifying their anti-epidemic campaigns, including imposing several coastal lockdowns and blockades, increasing the production of medicines and medical supplies, as well as spraying disinfectants.

Meanwhile, North Korean Prime Minister Kim Tok Hun reviewed pharmaceutical factories, amid a push to put the country's drug industry on a "new higher level," including meeting international standards, KCNA reported.

"Sufficient production and supply of drugs is a prerequisite to protect people's lives and health in today's stringent anti-epidemic campaign," he said.