Scottish death toll drops to lowest weekly rate since pandemic struck

Scotland’s weekly coronavirus deaths have dropped to five, the lowest level since the first fatality was recorded in the country in early March.

There were five occasions of Covid-19 being mentioned on the death certificate from August 3 to August 9, a drop from seven the week before and eight the week before that, according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

The NRS figures are published weekly and account for all deaths registered in Scotland when Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.

They differ from the laboratory-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government using Health Protection Scotland figures because they include suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.

Statistics show people living in deprived areas are two times more likely to die with coronavirus than those in the least deprived areas.

Adjusting for age, people in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to die with Covid-19 than those living in the least deprived areas, while those living in larger urban areas are more than four times more likely to die with Covid-19 than those in remote areas.

More than 90% of people who died with Covid-19 from March to July had at least one pre-existing condition, the most common of which was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (31%).

Pete Whitehouse, NRS director of statistical services, said: “Today’s publication shows a continuing decline in the number of people dying from Covid-19.

“Since the peak week in mid-april, when 661 Covid-19 related deaths were registered, today’s report shows the lowest weekly total for deaths since the first death was recorded in early March.”