Catalan health ministry publishes corrective retrospective Covid-19 data

The Catalan health department has published retrospective data of daily deaths and cases in Catalonia due to the coronavirus health crisis.

The figures merge the number of deaths recorded in funeral homes as well as in medical centers, be they confirmed Covid-19 cases or suspected. The new set of figures show the peak of new cases hitting the country on March 26, while the peak of deaths came a few days later, on March 30.

At the beginning of the health crisis, the Catalan government official data on coronavirus deaths only recorded those who passed away in medical centers. However, funeral homes also published daily death counts of official and likely Covid-19 cases from April 15. 

As funeral homes would also report deaths from medical centers, but also deaths from outside hospitals, such as those who died at home or in nursing homes, the count from funeral homes was generally higher. 

However, these figures needed some regularization, as there was the potential for deaths occurring on days before they were recorded.

As such, the Catalan government has published new data this week, with the aim of regularizing the figures. 

As well as deaths, retrospective data on confirmed cases per day has been published by the authorities too.