[Anchor Lead]
North Korea is also on high alert over the Wuhan coronavirus. It has declared a national quarantine emergency and is trying to prevent the deadly virus from reaching the country. All foreigners arriving in North Korea from China will be isolated for a designated period of time. The North has also requested South Korean officials at the inter-Korean liason office to wear masks.
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This program about the new coronavirus aired on North Korean state television on Tuesday. The North's state media provides daily updates on the countries affected by the virus and the numbers of infected people and deaths.
[Soundbite] HONG SUN-KWANG(N. KOREA'S MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH) : "To prevent this disease early on, we must intensify quarantine inspections at ports, airports and stations in the border area and implement thorough prevention measures so that this virus cannot penetrate our country."
In an unprecedented move, the Rodong Sinmun published three articles about the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday. The articles said North Korea's health authorities are taking emergency measures to prevent the virus. The regime designated virus prevention a pan-national project and has begun implementing measures to keep the deadly infection at bay. The North's health authorities have dispatched officials to every region of the nation and announced that those who return from overseas and are suspected to have the symptoms of the coronavirus will be quarantined. North Korea has also announced a national quarantine emergency. Screenings for foreigners arriving in the North have been intensified. The Russian embassy to North Korea said all foreign nationals arriving in the North from China must be isolated for one month. The North has also requested South Korean officials at the inter-Korean liaison office to wear masks.