According to a registry of death certificates in Mexico City, doctors have attributed 4,577 deaths to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). This figure is three times the official death toll with the Mexican federal government only acknowledging 1,332 deaths from Mexico City – a population of nine million.
As of May 20, Mexico has recorded over 54,346 confirmed cases, an increase of 2,713 from the day earlier which marks the highest one-day rise to date. The country also reported an increase of 334 deaths which brings the official death toll to 5,666.
If the additional deaths are to be included, this would bring the nation’s total number of deaths to 8,911.
The anti-corruption group, Mexicans Against Corruption did not mention how they accessed the database which is kept by local courts, but said that medical explanatory notes attached to 4,577 death certificates between March 18 and May 12 included the words “SARS,” “COV2,” “COV,” “Covid 19,” or “new coronavirus.” This is while official numbers showed only 1,060 coronavirus deaths.
The group also counted cases that included the terms “suspected,” “probable,” or “possible.” Doctors also noted COVID-19 to be a possible cause of death in over 3,200 cases alongside other illnesses such as pneumonia and respiratory failure.
On Tuesday, the mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the reports saying, “in addition to those with a positive COVID test, are there more? Yes, there are more. When is that going to be made public? According to Mexican standards this will definitely have to happen and there will be total transparency, but we have to comply with the standards concerning the review of the medical certificates.”
The group, Mexicans Against Corruption has been repeatedly criticized by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for opposing his policies and representing business interests.
The founder and director of the group, Claudio Gonzalez is a lawyer, activist and the son of a prominent business magnate.
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