Coronavirus-linked deaths in Scotland total 2,272 since outbreak began

More than 2,200 people have died in Scotland with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

A total of 2,272 deaths involving the virus had been recorded as of Sunday April 26, with the proportion of coronavirus deaths recorded in care homes rising on last week to 39%.

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

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

Of the deaths involving coronavirus registered by April 26, almost four in 10 (39%) – 886 – were in care homes, 52% (1,188) were in hospitals and 9% (197) were at home or non-institutional settings, with one fatality in an institutional setting.

In the figures published the previous week, care home deaths accounted for 33% of the total, with hospital deaths at 56%.

There were 656 deaths relating to Covid-19 registered between April 20 and April 26, a rise of four on the 652 registered between April 13 and April 19, according to the NRS.

The total number of all deaths registered in Scotland from April 20 to April 26 was 1,830 – nearly 68% higher than the five-year weekly average of 1,087. The previous week was 80% higher than the five-year weekly average.

Covid-19 accounted for the vast majority (85%) of the 743 excess deaths between April 20 and April 26 at 743, up from 74% the previous week.