Mexico’s Covid death toll ‘60% higher’ than official rate

mars 28, 2021
Aerial view of graves at a special area designated for COVID-19 victims, at the Municipal Pantheon of Valle de Chalco, State of Mexico, taken on March 26, 2021 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. - Mexico on March 25, 2021, became the world's third country to surpass 200,000 coronavirus deaths, following the United States and Brazil. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP) (Photo by ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP via Getty Images)
Graves for Covid victims at the Municipal Pantheon of Valle de Chalco (Picture: AFP)

Mexico’s virus death toll is likely to be 60 per cent higher than the official figure — putting it past 300,000 — according to government data.

By the end of the sixth week of this year, 294,287 deaths associated with Covid-19 had been registered on death certificates, said the health ministry.

That was 61.4 per cent higher than the confirmed toll of 182,301, which has since risen to 201,429.

The Mexican government has long said its true number of coronavirus deaths was likely significantly higher than the confirmed amount — which is still the third-highest in the world.

Total excess deaths in the country during the pandemic stood at 417,002 by the sixth week of 2021.

It is believed Covid may have contributed to that number as patients struggled to be treated in overwhelmed hospitals.

The figures come after the government insisted to South American nations that its facilities at Mexico City’s airport are safe.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - MARCH 25: A group of people carry a coffin of a person in the new section of the San Miguel Xico Cemetery that was opened since the COVID-19 Pandemic began on March 25, 2021 in Valle de Chalco, Mexico. Johns Hopkins University reported yesterday that Mexico reached 199,627 deaths related to COVID-19 and the country could surpass the 200,000 victims today. Mexico is the third country with most reported deaths, only after United States and Brazil, representing one of every five deceases in the world. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 2.208.755 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in Mexico. According to the National Government, over 6 million vaccines have been administrated to date. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
A group of people carry a coffin in San Miguel Xico Cemetery (Picture: Getty Images)
Picture of graves in a special area designated for COVID-19 victims at the Municipal Pantheon of Valle de Chalco, State of Mexico, taken on March 26, 2021 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. - Mexico on March 25, 2021, became the world's third country to surpass 200,000 coronavirus deaths, following the United States and Brazil. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP) (Photo by ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP via Getty Images)
Graves in a special area designated for Covid victims (Picture: AFP)

Meanwhile, elsewhere in South America, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said he has tested positive for Covid and is isolating.

‘I want to express my solidarity with the thousands of Venezuelans suffering during the pandemic,’ he tweeted.

Venezuela has received 500,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine and 200,000 of Russia’s Sputnik V.

Official figures show 1,555 Covid deaths, but critics say the toll is likely higher.

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