Spain's Ministry of Health has, for days now, had the official figures sent by the autonomous communities on deaths from Coronavirus in the more than 5,400 public and private homes for the elderly that exist throughout the country. In total, and according to these reports, the number of deaths in these centers is 16,510, representing 68% of total deaths by Coronavirus in Spain, 24,543 according to the report released on Thursday. The government, therefore, does not raise the number of deaths, which would exceed 40,000, considering that it is impossible to perform the PCR tests necessary to confirm that all these deaths were caused by Covid-19.

According to Health experts, the reports sent from the different regional governments come from three different sources: the records of the residences themselves, the statistics of the INE, and from their civil registries: "The so-called expected mortality has been taken into account, which is an estimate based on the reports of the last few years and the one that has finally been given in the residences". Therefore, the data, "despite coming out of official records", do not "prove", according to the Ministry, that all these deaths are the result of the Coronavirus.

The sources consulted explain that the central government, at least for the time being, "will not recognize them as such" because the dead have not been tested by PCR. In this sense, it is not ruled out that the Carlos III Institute, through the MoMo study (Daily Mortality Monitoring System), will make a statement on the figures for deaths in homes provided by the autonomous communities. However, for the time being, the Executive has chosen to remain silent.

Despite this, some of the figures in the autonomous reports sent to the Health Department are now becoming public. This documentation states, among other things, that since the pandemic began, 5,811 people with a positive diagnosis (1,130) or symptoms of Coronavirus (4,681) have died in the more than 700 retiring homes in the Community of Madrid and 2,943 in the homes in Catalonia. Both communities concentrate 50% of all deaths in retirement homes throughout the country.

After both regions, the highest number of deaths in nursing homes are found in the two Castiles. In Castile and Leon, 2,320 people have died in public and private centers, while in Castile-La Mancha, 968 nursing home users have been confirmed to have died of Coronavirus, 39% of the total number of deaths recorded in the community. In addition, 942 more deaths are contemplated with suspicion of having died infected, according to the Minister of Health.

Furthermore, according to the data sent by the Autonomous Communities, in Aragon, Extremadura, Navarra, Murcia, La Rioja, Cantabria and Asturias, the number of deaths in residential homes would exceed 50% of the total number of deaths. In some cases, such as Extremadura, the percentage would rise to 90 percent of the deaths.

Although these numbers have not yet been officially released by the central government, they have already provoked a reaction in Moncloa and the Health Ministry. According to the sources consulted, the Executive is beginning to study the approval of a law that would allow for "greater professionalization and vigilance" of nursing homes, both public and private. Among other measures, "the autonomous communities will be obliged to have greater control over these centers, and specific medication and specialized staff will be required for the care of the residents".