SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea says it has placed the city of Kaesong near the border with South Korea under lockdown over coronavirus concerns.

The North’s Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday the measure was taken Friday afternoon after it found a person with suspected covid-19 symptoms in the city.

It says the person is a runaway who fled to South Korea years ago before illegally crossing the border into the North in July.

If that person is officially declared a virus patient, the person would be the North’s first confirmed coronavirus case. North Korea has steadfastly said it has no single virus case on its territory, a claim questioned by outside experts.

KCNA says leader Kim Jong Un also declared a state of emergency in the Kaesong area during a Politburo meeting Saturday.

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