[BitWielder1]

There are about 3.6 million people in Puerto Rico.
Assuming an 80 year average human life span means 45,000 deaths a year, on average, all causes.
Easy to find 3000 deaths to be blamed on any cause of choice.

[scrabblehack]

https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popest/nation-total.html#par_textimage_2011805803

Actually the Census Bureau put the figure at 29332 for 2017.
It was 28483 for 2016.

Population estimates for PR are in decline...3.3 million for 2017, down from 3.7 million in 2010.