• WHO Verifies North Korea's COVID-19 Data Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

    International
    WHO Verifies North Korea's COVID-19 Data Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

    On May 12, the North confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 after claiming to be free of the virus for over two years.

    Digital Desk: The World
    Health Organization (WHO) is checking suspected COVID-19 data released by North
    Korea after the secretive country shared related information on its virus
    outbreak, a U.N. agency report showed Wednesday.


    The
    North reported to the WHO over 1.62 million people with "fever" and
    23 associated deaths between May 13 and 18, according to the organization's
    latest regional COVID-19 situation report.



    The
    report noted the North has not provided the case definitions for the figures
    and that the agency is "currently in the process of verifying COVID-19
    data" from Pyongyang. It added that there was no information on COVID-19
    vaccinations in the country.





    The
    report stated, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the organization's regional director of
    Southeast Asia, sent a letter to the North Korean ambassador in New Delhi on
    May 16 to propose support for the country in its fight against the coronavirus.



    On
    May 12, the North confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19
    after claiming to be free of the virus for over two years.



    Its
    state media has been reporting daily COVID-19 related data, with over 115,000
    new "fever cases" recorded Tuesday, raising the total number of such
    cases since late April to over 3 million. (Yonhap)