GENEVA/SEOUL — There are no indications that there are cases of the new coronavirus in North Korea, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said, despite South Korean media reports suggesting the outbreak had spread to the isolated country. "At the moment there are no signals, there are no indications we are dealing with any COVID-19 there," Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHO's emergencies program, told a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday. COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the new coronavirus. WHO officials had "no reason to believe that there are any specific issues" going on in North Korea, and would be providing authorities in the North with more laboratory supplies to conduct diagnostic tests, Ryan said. Some South Korean media outlets have reported multiple cases and possible deaths from the virus in North Korea, but there has been no independent verification.

Source: International New York Times February 19, 2020 01:41 UTC