COVID deaths drop

The number of people who died from COVID-19 in Perth and Kinross dropped to its lowest level this year last week.

Data from the National Records of Scotland showed 11 people had the coronavirus recorded on their death certificate in the week beginning February 1.

It brings the total number of COVID deaths in Perth and Kinross to 220.

It was the second week in a row deaths have gone down since the figure peaked at 29 in the week beginning January 18.

The infection rate is also continuing to drop.

On February 7, the rate was 65.2 per 100,000, according to Public Health Scotland.

That compares with 112.5 the week before.

There were 99 cases recorded in the first week of February, compared with 171 in the last week of January.

And the percentage of positive tests dropped from 5.8 per cent to four per cent.

Only the Western Edge in Perth has an infection rate over 200 per 100,000 people with over half of the region’s neighbourhoods in a position where the virus is considered to be suppressed.