North Korea reports another fever surge amid COVID-19 crisis

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has reported another large jump in illnesses believed to be COVID-19 and encouraged good health habits as an outbreak spreads through its unvaccinated population. State media also said the military had deployed medical officers to help distribute medicine. The country said Tuesday another 270,000 people were found with fevers and six people died. That raises North Korea’s deaths to 56 after more than 1.48 million people became ill with fever since late April. North Korea’s outbreak is almost certainly bigger than the tally since it has limited testing capacity. There are also suspicions its death toll is underreported because people fear punishment or are trying to soften the blow to the country’s leadership.