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Peru: Health Ministry updates COVID-19 death toll to 25,648

Peru

Peru's Deputy Health Minister Luis Suarez addresses reporters during a news conference

21:22 | Lima, Aug. 13.

The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Peru rose to 25,648 after adding the new figures updated thru July 17 and presented on Thursday afternoon by Deputy Health Minister Luis Suarez.

Within this framework, the government official pointed out that he hopes to receive "more complete information" no later than next Wednesday.

"According to the report we have received from the working group (in charge of updating the figures), 3,658 more deaths have been detected so far and classified as confirmed deaths from COVID-19," he said at a press conference.

By adding this figure to the data that the Center for Disease Control's Epidemiological Surveillance Department used to rely on, the death toll now reaches 25,648 —out of a total of 507,996 confirmed cases registered since the detection of the first case (in March). The projection is up to July 17.

Suarez specified that the death certificates of those 3,658 citizens had confirmed COVID-19 infection. Yet, he said, there is still a proportion of death certificates that need to be reviewed.

"We estimate that in less than a week, probably in the first days of next week, we can have the total from the review of death certificates and give the final figure up to that moment, and from there the working group will give us information in real time," he explained.

Invisible and deadly enemy

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) or the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). These viruses can be transmitted between animals and people.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. It is transmitted from human to human through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. COVID-19 is also transmitted by close contact with people infected by the virus.

(END) JOT/CCH/MVB

Published: 8/13/2020