New figures reveal extend of Covid-19 deaths in Scotland's care homes
The First Minister has announced all residents showing symptoms will now be tested for coronavirus
Around a quarter of deaths involving coronavirus in Scotland have been in care homes, new statistics show.
National Records of Scotland figures covering the start of the outbreak until Sunday April 12 have registered 962 fatalities with Covid-19 mentioned in the death certificate.
Of these, 237 were in care homes, 596 were in hospitals, 128 were in homes or other places listed as non-institutions and one was listed as other.
The NRS figures are published weekly, in contrast to the daily figures released by Health Protection Scotland, which only count laboratory confirmations of coronavirus and recorded 699 deaths as of Wednesday.
A total of 608 deaths relating to Covid-19 were registered between April 6 and April 12, more than double the figure of 282 registered between March 30 and April 5, according to the NRS.
There were 62 deaths between March 23 and 29, and 10 in the week of March 16-22, when the registration mentioned the virus.
The total number of all deaths registered in Scotland from April 6 to April 12 was 1,696, 79% higher than the average for the same week over the past five years of 1,100.
The NRS report states: “Further analysis of these excess deaths by cause of death is being carried out and will be included in a future publication.”
Registered deaths involving Covid-19 from April 6 to April 12 accounted for 31% of all deaths registered in that week, up from 16% the previous week.
Pete Whitehouse, NRS statistical services director said: “All of these deaths are tragic for the families involved.
“These statistics, when placed alongside the other important evidence being made available by the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland, are valuable to the understanding of the progress and impact of the Covid-19 virus across the country.”
Speaking at the daily Scottish Government coronavirus briefing, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said suspected Covid-19 deaths recorded by NRS Scotland are “higher than anybody would ever want to think about”.
She said: “We do need this further information to understand the toll this virus is having, how and where the virus is progressing and to inform what we do next.”
The First Minister said 433 care homes have recorded a case of Covid-19 since the beginning of the outbreak and the Scottish Government is working with partners to ensure workers and residents are supported.
She said all symptomatic patients in care homes will now be tested as it important to reassure residents, staff and the wider public but stressed she “did not have evidence” bringing this measure in earlier would have prevented deaths.
Ms Sturgeon added: “This shouldn't need said but I want to say it - the residents of care homes matter every bit as much to us as people in the community or in hospital.”
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