OPINION:
North Korea reported earlier this week that despite testing, and amid quarantining, not one confirmed case of the coronavirus has been found. Not one. This, despite the fact that North Korea’s border countries, South Korea and China, have been hit hard by the virus.
And the World Health Organization goes — yep, that’s right.
“As of 2 April, 709 people — 11 foreigners and 698 nationals — have been tested for COVID-19. There is no report of a COVID-19 case. There are 509 people in quarantine — two foreigners and 507 nationals,” said Edwin Salvador, the WHO representative to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in an email to Reuters. “Since 31 December, 24,842 people have been released from quarantine, which includes 380 foreigners.”
Wow. That’s amazing.
North Korea sits right at the door of the country responsible for bringing the world coronavirus in the first place, China — the same China that saw 1.6 million cases of the coronavirus, including 96,940 fatalities, according to updated WorldoMeter.info figures. And North Korea also sits at the door of South Korea, where Statista.com reported 10,423 confirmed infections of coronavirus and 204 deaths.
And North Korea has got nothing?
Seems the vaccine makers might want to head North Korea’s way then, given the country’s natural shield. Perhaps something in the air?
But it’s embarrassing that the WHO, absent any pushback at all, would buy this report.
No wonder President Donald Trump wants to defund the global agency; it’s far from scientifically sound — even further from putting the world’s health first, above politics.
“A U.N. human rights expert has called for lifting international sanctions against countries including North Korea — imposed for its nuclear and missile programs — to ensure that food supplies reach hungry populations during the pandemic,” Reuters wrote.
How convenient.
But how curious: If North Korea isn’t being impacted by the coronavirus, why the worry about stalled food supply chains?
Yet this, from Yahoo News: “North Korea continues to insist it has no cases of COVID-19.”
That just defies logic.
And that the WHO would stand by and seemingly defend the logically indefensible only underscores the politicization of the global body.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE.
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