From 18,000 to more than 40,000 dead, what happened in Peru? 1:44
(CNN Spanish) - The Minister of Health of Peru, Pilar Mazzetti, said this Thursday night at a press conference that in the coming days a new group of deceased could be incorporated into the official death toll from covid-19 in the country.
On July 22, 3,688 deaths were added to the official number of people who lost their lives due to the virus, which brought the total from 13,579 to 17,455 people who died until Wednesday of last week.
Death toll in Peru rises from covid-19 after review
The death toll officially registered until this Thursday rose to 19,021 cases.
President Martin Vizcarra announced last week from the Government Palace that a working group, formed at his request, was working to clarify the "gap" in the death toll from the new coronavirus in Peru. The Minister of Health, who accompanied him at the event, announced the 3,688 people who had been identified by this commission as deceased due to covid-19.
This Monday, Mazzetti told CNN en Español's Conclusiones program that in addition to the deaths officially confirmed by covid-19 there were 7,519 other suspected cases. The minister added that the number of deaths recorded by the National Death System is 46,274 deceased.
"That means we have the deceased by covid-19, the suspect and an excess of deaths. This excess of deaths is 19,000 people. They could all be deceased by covid-19, but I think that everyone logically understands that not everyone is going to die from covid-19, ”said Mazzetti.
The official added that this issue will be clarified over time: "As of today (Thursday) the National Death System registers 46,000 deaths, which somewhere on its death certificate says 'covid-19'. This case analysis will be continuous throughout the pandemic and this team will gradually review the cases. "
The Government of Peru makes a "correction in the gap" of the death toll from covid-19. The Minister of Health said that in May they identified discrepancies between the figures registered by the Ministry of Health and those recorded by the different regions of the country. She says that is why the president asked for clarification of the number of deaths and asked for the formation of the commission that carries out this work.
Pilar Mazzetti also said that they are trying to see what is the best way to make the data transparent so that there is no case that is not recorded.
"Each of those records hurts all of us and is part of the price to pay for this aggressive, deadly pandemic, we have absolutely nothing to hide."
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