WHO says 'no indications' of coronavirus cases in North Korea

There are no cases of coronavirus in North Korea, despite claims from South Korean media claiming otherwise.

That's according to an official from the World Health Organisation (WHO), who said "there are no signals" to indicate there are COVID-19 cases in the country.

Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHO's emergencies programme, said they had prioritised aid for North Korea, and a shipment of protective equipment was ready to be shipped.

Earlier, South Korean media claimed there were multiple cases and possible deaths from the virus in North Korea.

On Tuesday, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling party reiterated that the country had "no confirmed case of the new coronavirus so far".

Meanwhile, South Korea reported 15 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 46.

The virus has so far killed more than 2,000 people in mainland China and spread to more than two dozen countries.