North Korea has reported a massive surge in a mysterious “fever” outbreak, including almost two dozen additional deaths and tens of thousands of new cases. Kim Jong-un called the epidemic one of the greatest “turmoils” in the nation’s history.
Health officials confirmed 174,440 “new cases of fever” nationwide and 21 fatalities on Friday – up from just six deaths the day prior – the state-run KCNA reported, noting the total number of patients had exceeded 524,000 since late April. Some 288,810 are now in quarantine or receiving treatment.
Speaking during a Politburo meeting, state leader Kim Jong-un stressed the “effectiveness of regional blockades and unit-by-unit containment measures,” calling for a “meticulous” government response and additional efforts to “raise the scientific awareness of quarantine among all the people.”
“The spread of this virulent infectious disease in our country is one of the greatest periods of turmoil since the foundation of our state, just as the spread of the coronavirus is very serious around the world,” Kim added.