The number of deaths from Covid-19 has fallen for eight weeks in a row, dropping to 5% of all deaths from a peak of 36% in late April.
New weekly figures released by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) reveal that, as of June 21, a total of 4,119 deaths were recorded across Scotland, with 49 recorded since June 14, the eighth weekly drop in a row and lowest weekly total since late March.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Nicola Sturgeon said the latest figures show evidence of “real and sustained progress”.
On May 21 estimates showed that around 25,000 people had the virus, with most recent estimates showing this has fallen to around 2,900.
Ms Sturgeon said a further update will be published tomorrow, which she expectswill show the number of infected people has decreased further still, to 2,000.
She added: “This progress is due to people across Scotland doing the right thing and following the rules.”
Data released on Wednesday on NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system showed that 1,245 cases were reported where an individual tested positive for Covid-19 between the day the system launched on May 28 and June 21.
Contact tracing as been completed for 1,157 cases with 1,551 contacts traced so far – at a rate of 1.3 people contact traced per person on average.
This progress is due to people across Scotland doing the right thing and following the rules.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
The latest figures released by NRS show deaths involving Covid-19 account for 5% of all deaths, which has steadily fallen from a peak of 36% in the week of April 20 and from 7% in the week of June 14.
The number of deaths has fallen for the eighth week in a row, with 49 deaths the lowest weekly total recorded since late March.
The First Minister also revealed in parliament that nine cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the overall number of confirmed cases across Scotland to 18,191.
Meanwhile, 880 people are in hospital, an increase of 15 since yesterday, and in the past 24 hours, four people across Scotland lost their lives to the virus.
According to the NRS statistics up to June 21, a total of 377 people in the north and north-east have died after contracting Covid-19, since the pandemic began – with an increase of four in the past week in Grampian.
No deaths were recorded in the past seven days across Highland, Shetland and Orkney and no deaths have been recorded in the Western Isles since the pandemic began.
The figures also reveal that the proportion of care home deaths related to Covid-19 has dropped back in recent weeks and now represents 41% of all Covid-19 deaths in the week up to June 21.
Meanwhile, a total of 506 people have lost their lives to the virus across Tayside and Fife since the pandemic began.
‘Every death from this virus is a tragedy’
Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said: “These statistics represent the heartbreak of many families across the country who have lost loved ones and every death from this virus is a tragedy.
“Producing these statistics, alongside the other important evidence being made available by the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland (HPS), provides vital information to help understand the progression and impact of the virus in Scotland.
“Since the peak in mid-April, the number of registered Covid-19-related deaths has fallen for eight successive weeks. In the week ending June 21, 49 Covid-19-related deaths were registered, representing the second smallest weekly total since the start of the pandemic in Scotland.
“At the peak of the pandemic, 36 % of all registered deaths referenced Covid-19. The latest weekly figure reports that this is now the case in 5% of registered deaths.”
