South Lanarkshire sees increase in Covid deaths

Coronavirus deaths increased in South Lanarkshire last week.

After recording five deaths for two consecutive weeks, the number of deaths recorded has risen to seven according to figures released by the National Records of Scotland on June 29.

This brings the total number of coronavirus related deaths in South Lanarkshire to 312 – of which 143 were in care homes, 139 in hospital and 30 in other locations including at home.

Deaths in care homes increased by four this week, meanwhile deaths in hospitals rose by three.

Neighbouring North Lanarkshire recorded an additional four deaths by coronavirus last week, which is up one from the week before.

Two of these were in care homes, an increase of two from the previous week, with the other two being recorded in hospital.

That takes the total number of deaths in North Lanarkshire to 267, and a total of 579 across the whole of Lanarkshire, as of Sunday, June 28.

Lanarkshire as a whole remains the second worst affected health board in Scotland with 8.7 deaths for every 10,000 people. Only Greater Glasgow and Clyde has seen a higher death rate (11.2).

Only Lothian (713) and Greater Glasgow and Clyde (1324) have seen a higher number of coronavirus deaths than Lanarkshire although the death rate in Lothian is only 7.9 because of the bigger population.

Last week was the ninth consecutive week in which coronavirus deaths in Scotland decreased. There were 35 mentioned on the death certificate, a decrease of 14 from the previous week (June 15-21), and is the lowest weekly total since mid-march.

As of June 28, there have been a total of 4155 deaths registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate. The first mention of COVID-19 in a registered death certificate was the week beginning March 16.

The figures released by the National Records of Scotland include all deaths up to Sunday, June 28.