North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners in an attempt to stop the coronavirus from breaking out.
The foreigners are mostly diplomats stationed in the capital Pyongyang, state media reported.
About 200 foreigners had already been confined to their compounds for the past 30 days – but as that came to an end, the quarantine has been extended.
North Korea has not reported any cases of Covid-19, but several other countries did so on Monday.
Afghanistan and Dubai said they had detected their first cases, and Kuwait said three people returning from Iran had been infected.
In South Korea, seven people have died with 763 people infected. Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined after 11 military members were infected.
The virus, which emerged in China, has spread to at least 29 countries. Italy has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, with 152.
Around 50,000 people in two northern “hotspot” regions – Veneto and Lombardy – have been put under quarantine for two weeks.
Iran has also confirmed 43 cases of the virus and eight deaths.
In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged, the authorities earlier announced that some non-residents would be allowed to leave if they showed no symptoms of the virus.
However, local officials now say that order was made without authorisation and has been revoked.
The city has been in lockdown since January 23, with authorities cutting off transport links in and out of the city.
More than 2,500 people have died from the virus in mainland China, with some 77,150 cases confirmed cases reported.
What is the situation in North Korea?
North Korea has not confirmed any cases but the country shares a long and often porous border with China. There are concerns that North Korea, which is subject to international sanctions, lacks the health infrastructure to test and treat those infected and that any outbreak could quickly
spread unchecked.
At the moment, all foreigners coming into the country must be quarantined for 30 days.
There are relatively few foreigners in North Korea, and only around 200 Westerners, according to one expert.
North Korean authorities have also cancelled the annual Pyongyang marathon, which typically sees people from all over the world participating.
Around 3,000 people in North Pyongan province – a north-western region bordering China – are also now under monitoring for reportedly showing suspected symptoms, said state media.
