Scots Labour: Can we trust claims of no Covid deaths?
Labour yesterday challenged Scottish Government claims that the country has seen no deaths from Covid-19 for the last three weeks.
The party’s shadow health secretary Monica Lennon said according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS), in the last three weeks there have been 21 deaths registered in which Covid-19 was referenced on the death certificate of a person who had died.
She said the discrepancy arises because the Scottish Government only reports deaths that take place within the 28 days of the first positive Covid-19 test, whereas the NRS compiles its figures from death certificates.
Central Scotland MSP Ms Lennon, said: “Behind these tragic statistics are real people who have lost their lives to Covid-19.
“The First Minister must take greater care when she says there have been no deaths in Scotland from Covid-19 in the last three weeks. This is not only disrespectful but is distorting the continuing danger posed by the virus in our care homes and across Scotland.”
The Scottish Government said: “We have made clear at the press briefings and on many other occasions that the daily mortality statistic refers to those who tragically die having been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19. The NRS data includes these figures along with people with any reference to Covid-19 on their death certificate. The NRS figures therefore include confirmed and suspected cases.
“Both sets of data are valid and we always make clear which one we are referring to.”