Shivalik
North Korea has banned people from using public transportation without wearing masks as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus outbreak although the country was yet to report a case, state media reported Thursday.
North Korea has not reported any confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, but it's reportedly put thousands of individuals under medical supervision for potential infection and brought various preventive measures, including blocking its border and enforcing strict quarantines, reports the Seoul-based Yonhap press agency.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, published Pyongyang's latest guidelines for its citizens in using public transportation, which obliges passengers to wear masks and sanitize their hands before boarding trains, subways, buses and taxis.
People also will need to have their temperatures checked before using public transportation for long-distance travel, and if they show suspected symptoms, they ought to be barred from boarding, the paper said.
The daily further said that trains and buses were also required to have an area to put into quarantine any passengers showing symptoms, while crew should keep their masks and gloves on and should not reuse the protective gear.
North Korea has taken variety of preventive measures because it shares an extended and porous border with China, the epicenter of the contagion .
Meanwhile, South Korea on Thursday reported a complete of 8,565 confirmed coronavirus cases, while 91 people have died of the disease.
