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.

The latest screenings bring the total number of people tested in the country to 40,033, with health officials collecting 79,792 samples.