The total number of people tested for COVID-19 in North Korea has surpassed 40,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), as the country continues to maintain that it is COVID-free nearly two years after the pandemic began.

The DPRK tested an additional 691 people with polymerase chain reaction tests from Sept. 10-16, the WHO states in its latest weekly situation report. Those tested included 98 people with influenza-like illness or respiratory infections and 593 health care workers.