Fatalities stay high as deaths of past months are recorded now

Health Dept. blames private hospitals, while latter say govt. undercounted earlier

While there has been a significant decline in new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, the number of deaths remaining high has been intriguing. Data, however, shows that many deaths that occurred in March, April and May are being accounted for now, leading to the high number. A closer look at the data in the Health Department’s daily media bulletins for the past one week, shows that close to 80% of the deaths recorded in the bulletin now occurred since March. For example, the list of deaths mentioned in the June 3 bulletin shows hardly 150 deaths that have happened since June 1, out of 514. The death of a 74-year-old female patient, who was admitted on March 23 and died on March 29 in a private hospital in Bengaluru, has been recorded now. Likewise, a 62-year-old female who died on April 8, a 81-year-old who died on April 6 and many others who died in the months of March, April and May figure in Thursday’s data. Friday’s bulletin too showed a similar trend.