North Korea is exerting all-out quarantine efforts against the novel coronavirus, after Pyongyang announced a man, who had defected to South Korea in 2017, was found with symptoms in the border city of Gaeseong.

Ruling party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun said Monday that the man's test results suggested that he may have contracted the virus.

The paper then urged the North Korean people to wear masks and to strictly follow the country's quarantine regulations.

It also called for an eradication of complacency and laxity regarding the pandemic and quarantine, as maximum measures are imposed to prevent the spread of the virus.

North Korea, which has claimed of being virus-free amid strict border controls, is on alert with its leader Kim Jong-un elevating the country's quarantine level to "maximum emergency" over the weekend.