Deaths rise by almost 6,000 since March

The number of deaths recorded in Portugal between the beginning of March and the end of August has risen by almost 6,000 when compared with the same period in 2019.

Statistics show that overall, around 58,000 fatalities were recorded, with only 3 percent a direct result of Covid-19. Health authorities say that the pandemic only explains part of this increase, with a series of heat waves and increased difficulty to access the health service being blamed for the rise in mortality.