SYNTHESIS INE@COVID-19, 12 Feb-2021

February . 12 . 2021 SYNTH SIS IN @ COVID-19 www.ine.pt page 5/7 Communication Unit | tel: +351 21 842 61 10 | sci@ine.pt The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in weeks 2 and 3 of 2021 accounted for 24.3% and 34.5% respectively of total deaths In the first weeks of 2020, the number of deaths was generally lower than the average observed in the corresponding weeks of 2015-2019. In March, contrary to past trends, mortality began to rise, reaching a first peak between the 30 th of March and the 5 th of April, to which deaths attributed to COVID-19 contributed in part. A new peak of deaths was reached in mid-July, despite the low contribution of the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 to the increase in mortality. As the year ended and early 2021 approached, this increase was increasingly explained by the increase in COVID-19 deaths. Since the last week of 2020 (28 th of December to the 3 rd of January 2021), the number of deaths has risen steadily, moving further away from the 2015-2019 average. Mortality in Portugal in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic 1 500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 5,500 26-Jan 23-Feb 22-Mar 19-Apr 17-May 14-Jun 12-Jul 9-Ago 6-Sep 4-Oct 1-Nov 29-Nov 27-Dec 24-Jan No. Week/Month 2015-2019 max-min Deaths 2015-2019 average Deaths, excluding COVID-19 In weeks 2 and 3 of 2021, there were 4,530 and 4,898 deaths in Portugal, respectively (amounting to 9,428 deaths). Week 3 also saw the highest number of deaths per week since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 during those weeks was 1,103 and 1,693, representing 24.3% and 34.6% respectively of the total number of deaths. In those two weeks, the excess mortality was 1,714 and 2,032 deaths respectively (+60.9% and +70.9% than the average for 2015-2019 in the same weeks). The number of COVID-19 deaths represented 64.4% and 83.3%, respectively, of the total increase in deaths. 2020 and 2021 deaths and 2015-2019 average, by week, Portugal, week 1 2020 to week 3 2021