North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners as part of a number of draconian measures to keep the coronavirus from wreaking havoc on its crumbling public health system and a population already weakened by malnutrition.

The foreigners being quarantined are mostly diplomats and people involved in overseas trading who are stationed in the capital Pyongyang, according to state media.

Most have been confined to their compounds for the past 30 days, but that isolation is now expected to extend beyond the initial March 1 deadline.

In a possible further sign of state paranoia as infections in neighbouring South Korea surge close to 1,000, with tens of thousands in China, the North Korean authorities rejected a British government request to fly in a chartered aircraft for support and evacuation purposes, NK News reported.

The site said the flight, to bring in supplies and fly out people stranded by travel restrictions, was proposed with the European Union. Air and rail routes to North Korea are suspended until the end of February at the earliest, leaving some embassies with limited basic supplies.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not confirm or deny the report. "Our staff continue to work with the North Korean authorities and other international partners to secure a regular means of rotating staff in and out of the country, and resupplying diplomatic missions, while Covid-19 related restrictions remain in place," an FCO spokesperson said.