First covid death in two months

Someone has died of Covid-19 in Renfrewshire for the first time in more than two months.

The death, recorded on September 20, is understood not to have happened in a care home.

It brings the total number of coronavirus deaths in the region to 207.

The deceased is one of seven people to have tragically lost their lives after testing positive for Covid-19 in Scotland in the past 28 days, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed.

She said: “We, of course, should never think of any of these deaths as statistics.

“Every single one of them represents the loss of a unique and irreplaceable individual.”

“So again today, as I always do, but, given the numbers today, I want to particularly emphasise this and send my deepest condolences to everyone that has lost a loved one.

“That particularly includes those who have lost loved ones in the past few days.”

The death comes as the number of positive covid cases in Renfrewshire continues to rise.

Last Thursday alone, a further 18 people were diagnosed with the disease.

It brings the total number of confirmed cases in the local authority area this month so far to 286 - a quarter of all Covid-19 positive cases recorded since the pandemic started.

The rising numbers reflect the increasing number of tests being carried out, but Ms Sturgeon has warned the numbers also reflect a growing increase in the virus nationally.

Speaking at her daily press conference yesterday, she said: “Public Health Scotland have published figures this morning showing that, in the week ending September 26, there were a total of 94 covid admissions to hospital, and that is up from 58 in the previous week.

“This is a 60 per cent increase in hospital admissions from one week to the next.

“It should remind us of how wrong it is to assume that, because the recent rise in cases has been driven by the younger population, it is nothing to worry about.

“That is, in my view, dangerous complacency that we simply cannot afford right now.”

She added: “That figure of seven deaths is the highest I’ve had to report at one of these briefings since June 17.”

“It’s, therefore, a very sharp reminder of the fact that covid is an extremely dangerous virus as well as a highly infectious one.”