Mexico surpasses Italy with 4th-highest COVID-19 death toll

Medical staff are seen looking after a patient inside the provisional military hospital of the Campo Militar No. 1, which takes care of patients with symptoms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mexico City, Mexico 9 June 2020.Reuters

Mexico has overtaken Italy to be the country with the fourth-highest COVID-19 deaths in the world, according to data from the country’s Health Ministry.

On Sunday, the Ministry confirmed 276 new deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s total deaths to 35,006, while the fatalities in Italy stood at 34,954, reports Xinhua news agency.

Tthe US currently accounts for the world’s highest number of COVOD-19 deaths at 568,296, followed by Brazil (72,100) and the UK (44,904), according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The Ministry also confirmed 4,482 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 299,750, the seventh highest in the world.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

The pandemic in Mexico could last until April 2021, Mexico’s Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said earlier last week.