COVID-19 may spread rapidly in North Korea, WHO warns

People wearing protective face masks commute amid concerns over the new coronavirus disease in Pyongyang, North Korea
People wearing protective face masks commute amid concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang, North Korea March 30, 2020, in this photo released by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS/File Photo

GENEVA, May 16 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization warned on Monday that COVID-19 may spread rapidly in North Korea, where it said vaccination programmes had yet to begin.

"With the country yet to initiate COVID-19 vaccination, there is risk that the virus may spread rapidly among the masses unless curtailed with immediate and appropriate measures," said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO's regional director for South-East Asia, in a statement sent to journalists.

In the same statement, the WHO said it had yet to receive information about the reported outbreak directly from local authorities. read more

Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Rachel More

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read Next