North Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon over coronavirus dread

Amid unprecedented coronavirus outbreak, rth Korea has cancelled its Pyongyang Marathon which was scheduled for April. marathon has been called off due to border lockdown and travel curbs to prevent spre of dely virus. However, according to Young Pioneer Tours, Pyongyang's Autumn Marathon set for September is still scheduled to go ahe. 

A statement released by Young Pioneer Tours on ir official website re, “We have received confirmation from our travel partners in rth Korea that Pyongyang Marathon (Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon) held in April has been cancelled due to current borders of DPRK being closed to prevent spre of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) virus”. 

statement furr re, “We are happy to anunce that Pyongyang Marathon in September this year is still scheduled to go ahe and is open for registrations”. 

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First detected in city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province of China, virus outbreak has w spre across more than 60 countries since December 2019. However, World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it h indications of virus has spre to rth Korea. Kim Jong-un, rth Korea's supreme leer has also called for stronger efforts to guard against coronavirus outbreak and reportedly said that re will be 'serious consequences' if epidemic outbreak spres to country. 

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'National existence' 

Pyongyang has reportedly been pushing a tough anti-virus campaign it has described as a matter of 'national existence'. rth Korea has shut down nearly all cross-border traffic, banned tourists, intensified screening at entry points and mobilised tens of thousands of health workers to monitor residents and isolate those with symptoms. According to reports, it has also placed hundreds of foreigners in quarantine to prevent an outbreak. Experts say an epidemic in rth Korea could be dire because of country's chronic lack of medical supplies and poor healthcare infrastructure.

With businesses and companies eir shutting down stores or cancelling ir major events to contain spre of fatal virus, it has alrey reached more than 60 countries with Antarctica being only continent left 'virus-free'. WHO chief Dr Tedros ham Ghebreyesus has also said that officials “should t be too er to declare a pandemic” in absence of “clear-minded analysis of facts”.  

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