Portugal Did Not Revise Its COVID Death Statistics from 17,000 to 152

In June and July, a number of articles appeared online claiming that a court in Lisbon, Portugal, had revised its country’s COVID-19 death figure down to 152 from 17,000. These articles claimed that the supposed new figure had come to light after a Portuguese citizen had filed a petition for verified mortality data.

The articles also used screenshots of this document as alleged evidence that the country’s COVID death statistic stood at 152 as of April 18, 2021, with the text appearing in its original Portuguese. 

A number of social media users have since posted the claim that only 152 people have died of COVID-19 in Portugal. These posts have gained hundreds and, in at least one instance, over one thousand interactions.