North Korea's Kim urges 'maximum alert' on virus

rth Korean leer Kim Jong Un urged officials to maintain maximum alert against coronavirus pandemic, criticising unspecified complacencies in country's anti-virus campaign that he said risked unimaginable and irretrievable crisis.

Despite warnings, state media said Friday that Kim reaffirmed government claims that re hasn't been a single case of COVID-19 in rth Korea.

Kim told a ruling party meeting that country has thoroughly prevented inro of malignant virus and maintained stable anti-epidemic situation despite worldwide health crisis.

rth's claim of being COVID-19 free has been questioned by outside experts, who say a major outbreak in country could possibly have dire consequences because of its chronic lack of medical supplies and poor health care infrastructure.

Describing its anti-virus efforts as a matter of national existence, country has shut down nearly all cross-border traffic, banned tourists, intensified screening at entry points and mobilized tens of thousands of health workers to monitor residents and isolate those with symptoms.

Experts say country's self-imposed lockdown is also hurting an ecomy alrey battered by stringent US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programme.