The World Health Organization(WHO) plans to arrange a meeting with the North Korean mission in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the outbreak of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19.

Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO's health emergencies program, said in a press briefing on Tuesday in Geneva that the WHO will soon meet with the officials.

Ryan said there is no reason to believe North Korea has specific issues at the moment, but the authorities are concerned about the virus outbreak as are other governments. 

He added that the WHO is focusing efforts on providing protective equipment for North Korea. 

After the outbreak of the virus in China, North Korea declared a national emergency and shifted into a national emergency quarantine system late last month to prevent the outbreak from crossing into the country.

North Korea has repeatedly claimed that it has no confirmed cases of the new virus.