Deaths linked to COVID-19 fall for ninth consecutive week

The number of deaths involving COVID-19 in Scotland has fallen for the ninth week in a row, according to the latest figures.

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) confirmed there were 61 deaths linked to the virus last week – a decrease of five from the previous week.

The majority of deaths were in hospitals, with 43 in that setting, while 13 were at home or in non-institutional settings and five in care homes.

A total of 32 deaths were among people aged 75 and over, while 13 were of those under the age of 65.

As of 28 March, 9,958 deaths have been registered in Scotland where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.

Pete Whitehouse, NRS director of Statistical Services, said: "It is welcome to report that this is the ninth week in succession where we have seen a fall in the number of COVID-related deaths and it’s the third where there were fewer deaths from all causes, in comparison with the five-year average."

As of this morning, almost 2.5 million people have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and more than 350,000 have had a second dose.

The improving picture in relation the spread of the virus comes as the Scottish Government prepares to ease lockdown restrictions from Friday.

It will lift the 'Stay at Home' rule on Friday, replacing it with a 'Stay Local' message for three weeks.

Following that, on Monday more students will be allowed to return to on-campus learning, contact sports can resume for 12 to 17 year olds, homeware and garden centres can reopen and hairdressers can return.

However, there is no room for complacency, the First Minister said yesterday. She called for people to be "hypervigilant".

Recent data on coronavirus has suggested that while the number of new cases has fallen throughout January and February, they are now plateauing.

There were 542 new cases of COVID recorded today and 237 people currently in hospital with the virus.