SEOUL, May 19 ― North Korea is ramping up production of drugs and medical supplies including sterilisers and thermometers as it battles an unprecedented coronavirus outbreak, state media KCNA said today.

At least 262,270 more people reported fever symptoms, and one additional person died as of yesterday evening, KCNA said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.

It did not specify how many of the isolated country's 25 million people had tested positive for the virus.

Since declaring its first Covid-19 epidemic last week, North Korea has reported 1,978,230 people with fever symptoms and 63 deaths, and imposed strict anti-virus measures including a nationwide lockdown.

Factories are churning out more medicines, thermometers and other medical supplies in the capital Pyongyang and nearby regions, while more isolation wards were installed and disinfection work intensified around the country, KCNA said. ― Reuters