The number of covid-related deaths registered in Renfrewshire has more than doubled in a week.
It comes as the area’s covid rates drop dramatically as the county finally sees the back of the Omicron-fuelled peak in cases.
Five people who died in Renfrewshire in the week from January 10 had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate.
There have now been 326 deaths in Renfrewshire where the virus was mentioned on the death certificate since the beginning of 2021
The figure is up from two such deaths the previous week, according to data from the National Records of Scotland, who urged caution over interpretation of the figures, citing a backlog of death registrations due to the festive period.
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But they say nationwide, the holiday closures do not account for the entire increase, as analysis shows the number of deaths involving Covid-19 began to rise in mid-December from a low point of six deaths daily to an average of 13 per day in early January.
Across Scotland, 132 people died between January 10 and 16 where covid was mentioned on the death certificate - up 60 from the previous week.
The figure takes the total number of registered Coronavirus-related deaths in the country to 12,675.
Of last week’s deaths, 91 occurred in the 75 or over age group, while 21 were aged between 65 and 74, with 20 deaths amongst the under 65s.
The majority of covid-related deaths, 69, were male.
North Lanarkshire logged the most deaths, with 14, while 13 took place in South Lanarkshire and 12 were within the City of Edinburgh.
Some 25 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities saw at least one covid death last week, while 77 of the registered fatalities took place in hospitals, 45 in care homes and ten at home or in a non-institutional setting.
Data chiefs say that monthly analysis reveals the age-standardised rate of covid-related deaths was lower in December last year - at 66 per 100,000 people - compared to the previous month, with 96 per 100,000 logged in November 2021.
The highest number of covid-related deaths throughout the pandemic came in April 2020, when the figure stood at 585 deaths per 100,000 people.
Some 93 per cent of those whose death involved Covid-19 suffered at least one pre-existing condition - with the most common being dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Pete Whitehouse, director of Statistical Services, said: “The latest figures show that last week there were 132 deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. This is 60 more deaths than the previous week.
“The number of deaths from all causes registered in Scotland in this week was 1,501, which is 27, or 2 per cent, fewer than the five year average.”
Covid cases in Renfrewshire also continue to dwindle as the Omicron-fuelled peak passes.
The seven-day positive PCR test figure for the area between January 10 and 16 sits at 1,038, while the test positivity rate sits at 578.6 per 100,000 population.
Figures show the seven day test positivity rate sits at 17.3 per cent - well down on the high of 29.6 per cent between January 1 and 7.
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