Thursday, June 16th, North Korea announced an outbreak of an unnamed intestine pandemic, which might exacerbate strains on the country's healthcare system, which is experiencing an unprecedented Covid-19 surge.

KCNA reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent medicine to the western port city of Haeju on Wednesday to aid patients suffering from the "acute enteric epidemic" as soon as possible.

It did not specify how many people were impacted or the ailment, although enteric refers to the digestive tract.

KCNA reported that Kim highlighted the importance of containing the outbreak as soon as possible by quarantining suspected patients and conducting epidemiological and scientific examinations to confirm cases.

The reported incidence coincides with the North's first Covid-19 infection outbreak. Last month, it declared a state of emergency due to a scarcity of vaccines and medical supplies.

Thursday, 26,010 additional fever patients were reported in North Korea, bringing the total number of fever patients since late April to about 4.56 million. Seventy-three deaths have been attributed to the pandemic.

Pyongyang has been publicizing daily the number of fever patients, not Covid patients, as testing kits are supposedly unavailable.

Experts also fear underreporting of data by government-controlled media outlets.

The North maintains the Covid wave is showing signs of abating. Still, the World Health Organization doubted Pyongyang's assertions earlier this month by asserting that the situation is deteriorating.