Covid- 19 claims 276 county lives

A total of 276 people in Ayrshire have died from the coronavirus, new figures reveal.

But the death toll has dropped by 33 per cent compared to the previous week, latest government figures have shown.

The weekly death toll in Ayrshire, between 25th and 31st May, shows that 14 people lost their lives- compared to 21 the previous week, representing a big reduction in the number of fatalities.

Over the same reporting period, six people in South Ayrshire lost their lives from the virus.

Two people died in care homes and four others passed away in hospital.

In East Ayrshire, one person died in hospital, while other died in a care home.

North Ayrshire’s figures show that three people died in care homes, two in hospital and one in a home setting.

Combined, the tragic death toll for the reporting week stands at 14 for the region .

That figure is, however, well down in the previous figure of 21 and the lowest it has been in the last five weeks.

Figures also show that in all locations combined, 105 people in South Ayrshire died of the coronavirus, 70 in East Ayrshire and 101 in North Ayrshire, bringing the tragic toll to 276.

At a national level, 3911 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus ( COVID- 19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published by National Records of Scotland ( NRS).

Between May 25 and May 31, 131 deaths relating to COVID- 19 have been registered, a decrease of 99 from the previous week, May 18 to May 24.

Deaths involving COVID- 19 as a proportion of all deaths has now fallen to 12 per cent in week 22, having reached 36 per cent in week 17.

This is the fifth weekly reduction in a row of deaths involving COVID- 19.

Pete Whitehouse, director of Statistical Services, said: “Every death from this virus is a tragedy.

“These statistics, alongside the other important evidence being made available by the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland ( HPS), are valuable to the understanding of the progress and impact of the COVID- 19 virus across Scotland.

“Across Scotland the number of COVID- 19 related deaths registered in the week ending 31st May was 131 – the lowest weekly total since late March.

“Our aim is to ensure that our statistical publication provides information that is as useful as possible and adds value to the understanding of how the virus is spreading throughout the country. We will continue to review and develop these statistics as new information is made available.”

Meanwhile, the number of operations in Ayrshire and Arran dropped by 90 per cent in April- compared to the same month in 2019- as the NHS focused on the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Figures show 168 scheduled elective operations in April 2020, compared with 1698 in April 2019. Between March and April 2020, the drop was 86 per cent , from 1229 to 168.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has praised the NHS and said that while the figures released appear large, the cancellation of operations in Ayrshire and Arran was the right thing to do.

Colin Smyth said: “I do still have concerns about the consequences to the NHS in the future of so many non- urgent operations which were rightly cancelled or postponed.

“We need ensure the huge backlog in elective surgeries are tackled as soon as it is safe to do so.”