Coronavirus: North Korea quarantines foreigners

INTERNATIONAL DESK: North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners in an attempt to stop the coronavirus from breaking out, reports BBC.

The foreigners are mostly diplomats stationed in the capital Pyongyang, state media reported.

About 200 foreigners had already been confined to their compounds for the past 30 days – but as that came to an end, the quarantine has been extended.

North Korea has not reported any cases of Covid-19, but several other countries did so on Monday.

Afghanistan and Dubai said they had detected their first cases, and Kuwait said three people returning from Iran had been infected.

In South Korea, seven people have died with 763 people infected. Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined after 11 military members were infected.

The virus, which emerged in China, has spread to at least 29 countries. Italy has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, with 152.

Around 50,000 people in two northern “hotspot” regions – Veneto and Lombardy – have been put under quarantine for two weeks.

Iran has also confirmed 43 cases of the virus and eight deaths.