Amid the Covid-19 outbreak in North Korea, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the spread of virus is worrying for new variants, as the country is battling a rapid spread of a mysterious fever since late April.

Addressing a press conference, WHO’s emergencies director Mike Ryan on Tuesday said, “Certainly it’s worrying if countries are not using the tools that are now available.”

Also read: Kim Jong Un faces ‘huge dilemma’ as outbreak worsens in North Korea

Ryan further added that the WHO has repeatedly said that there is always a higher risk of new variants emerging where there is an unchecked transmission.

Apart from Ryan, WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged North Korea to share data and information regarding the pandemic.

Also read: Kim Jong-un deploys military to help fight COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea

Speaking to reporters, Ghebreyesus said, “WHO is deeply concerned at the risk of further spread of Covid-19 in the country particularly because the population is unvaccinated and many have underlying conditions putting them at risk of severe disease and death.”

He also added that the WHO offered to provide technical support and supplies, tests, medicines and vaccines to help North Korea stem the spread of Covid-19.

Also read: South Korea offers North ‘humanitarian aid’ amid Covid-19 outbreak

On Wednesday, North Korea reported 232,880 more cases of the mysterious fever and six more deaths, taking the infection tally and toll to over 1.7 million and 62 respectively.

North Korean authorities have said that they have been able to confirm only a small number of Covid-19 cases acknowledging an Omicron variant outbreak last week. The Associated Press reported that experts outside have pointed out most of this mysterious fever could be Covid-19.

Also read: Eight dead in North Korea as Kim Jong Un laments Covid response, death toll rises to 50

Meanwhile, North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un accused officials of “immaturity” and “slackness” in handling the virus across the country.

He urged officials to strengthen Covid-19 controls at workplaces and make redoubled efforts to improve the supply of daily necessities and stabilise living conditions, the Korean Central News Agency said on Wednesday.