Moscow could help Pyongyang oppose Covid-19, no requests made thus far - embassy

MOSCOW. May 17 (Interfax) - Russia stands ready to assist North Korea in opposing the spread of coronavirus, but Pyongyang has not yet responded to Moscow's relevant proposals, the Russian embassy to North Korea said on Tuesday.

"Russia offered help to our Korean friends as early as two years ago, and no response has followed. If it comes, we stand ready to get engaged in this within the shortest possible time," the embassy said when asked whether Pyongyang could accept assistance from the outside, including from Russia, amid an apparent coronavirus outbreak in North Korea.

In commenting on Western media reports that the number of Covid-19 cases in North Korea has topped one million, the embassy said, "A bulletin as of 6:00 p.m. May 16 stated that the overall number of patients identified with high temperature since the end of April amounted to 1.483 million, including over 269,000 people over the previous 24 hours alone."

"Fifty-six fatalities have been recorded, including six over the past 24 hours alone, 819,000 patients have recovered, and about 664,000 are continuing to receive treatment," the embassy said.

"The daily bulletins do not say directly that the people are sick precisely with Covid-19 but mention only 'patients with high temperature', although everyone certainly understands what it's all about," it said.