Mexico Says Death Toll Rose 55% for March-June Amid Outbreak

(Bloomberg) --

Mexico is raising its estimate for the death toll for about two-thirds of the country by 55% between mid-March and late June following the coronavirus outbreak, according to health officials.

The Latin American nation said in 20 out of 32 states alone, fatalities from Covid-19 and other causes increased by 71,315 to a total of 202,077 from March 15 to June 27. That compares with the 130,763 earlier expected, according to a report by the health ministry on Saturday.

A total of 43,680 have died in Mexico from coronavirus, the fourth-highest number of fatalities globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The total number of cases has risen to 390,516.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Saturday the pandemic has affected Mexico more than many other countries, according to Milenio website, as the virus hit people with underlying conditions. “Many Mexicans have lost their lives because of chronic diseases; we have a a country with ill people due to chronic ailments such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity,” he said.

Mexico’s economic activity plunged by a record 22.7% in May from a year earlier, deepening a crisis caused by the outbreak. The nation’s oil industry has also taken a toll from the pandemic with 240 Covid-19 related deaths.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.