North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases remained below 30,000 for the third consecutive day, its state media said Friday.

More than 23,160 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.

It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported. As of Wednesday, the death toll stood at 73, with a fatality rate of 0.002 percent.

The total number of fever cases since late April came to over 4.58 million as of 6 p.m. Thursday, of which more than 4.54 million have recovered, and at least 40,960 are being treated, it added.

The country's daily fever tally has been on a downward trend after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15.

In light of another infectious disease outbreak in the country's southwestern region reported earlier this week, the North's public health officials are focusing on ways to establish "more detailed and scientific tactics" in response to outbreaks, according to the KCNA.

On Thursday, the North reported an "acute enteric epidemic" in Haeju City and Kangryong County in South Hwanghae Province. It did not specify what the disease is.

"Public health, hygienic and anti-epidemic organs across the country have more substantially conducted the work for establishing treatment tactics to detect the malignant epidemic in its early stage," the KCNA said in an English-language article.

It noted that "versatile quarantine places with improved accommodation capacity and tight closure and treatment environment" are being set up nationwide.

On May 12, North Korea disclosed its first COVID-19 case after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years. (Yonhap)