COVID-19 death toll passes 10,000 in Scotland
With fewer registrations than usual this week due to the public holiday on Friday, the actual fatality figure may be higher.
Last updated 8th Apr 2021
Scotland's coronavirus deaths toll has now passed the 10,000 mark.
Figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show 38 deaths relating to Covid-19 were registered between March 29 and April 4, bringing the total number of fatalities up to Sunday to 9,997.
Since then, six deaths have been recorded in the daily figures from Public Health Scotland.
NRS also warned that with fewer registrations than usual this week due to the public holiday on Friday, the actual fatality figure may be even higher.
Speaking during a coronavirus briefing on Thursday, national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch said one coronavirus patient death and 364 positive tests were recorded in the past 24 hours.
He had earlier sought to reassure Scots that the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is safe, after UK regulators said there is a possible link between the jab and "extremely rare'' blood clots.
He said the vaccination programme is helping to drive down Covid deaths and he urged people to keep going for their jab appointments.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said that while it has not concluded the vaccine causes rare brain clots, the link is getting firmer - though it insisted the benefits of the jab still outweigh the risks overall.
The regulators have recommended that people aged under 30 should be offered Pfizer or Moderna as alternatives to the AstraZeneca vaccine as the balance of risk is more finely balanced for younger age groups who did not tend to suffer serious Covid illness.