408 COVID-related Deaths So Far; 40 in September Alone

In terms of survivability, eighty-seven percent of positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic in Belize have recovered. The fatality rate is at two point zero one with four hundred and eight COVID-related deaths recorded so far. Even more frightening is that up to last Friday, thirty-seven deaths were already recorded for the month of September. There have been three deaths since then and we are still not at the end of the month. Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa breaks down the trends.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region

“For the months of April, May and June, we had three two and three deaths respectively. And starting in July we went to eight and in August, unfortunately that number went to twenty-four deaths. In September, as of last Friday, we were at thirty-seven deaths directly related to COVID-19 and of course the month isn’t quite over as yet. And so the deaths have significantly increased and you are very right in saying especially persons sixty and over, we have seen that most of the deaths have occurred there. But from the info graphics that we have been sharing, the new info graphics, it’s also evident that persons under sixty have also been dying from COVID and that’s a shift from last year, for instance in the last outbreak, where the great majority of persons were at least over fifty years old. Now we see in the data, we’ve had two persons in the twenties; we’ve had persons in the thirties. So every decade we’re had more persons, unvaccinated, who have succumbed to COVID-19 recently.”