In this photo provided Dec. 16, 2020, by the North Korean government, the workers of North Korea's Pyongyang Information Technology Bureau disinfect their facility as part of the measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Pyongyang. Korean Central News Agency-AP

North Korea has been striving to stave off a COVID-19 outbreak on its soil ahead of a major national event, according to its state-controlled media Sunday.

It plans to convene the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea next month, in which the Kim Jong-un regime is expected to unveil the direction of its major policies at home and abroad. No exact date has been announced yet.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the powerful ruling party, called for more thorough coronavirus virus prevention measures, citing the plan to hold the first party congress in five years. The previous session was attended by Kim and thousands of party delegates.

"Absolutely obeying emergency anti-virus measures" is "crucial" to protect the nation and the people, the newspaper stressed.

It called for the strengthening of the line of defense against the virus and the "guarding of the 8th convention," even for people to risk death to guarantee its success.