THE number of deaths in Scotland from coronavirus has fallen for an eleventh consecutive week, with barely one in 100 fatalities attributed to the disease. 

At its peak, Covid was responsible for more than a third of all deaths in Scotland.

The National Records of Scotland said the infection has been implicated in 4,187 deaths by July 12, an increase of just 13 on the previous week’s running total.

It was the lowest weekly increase in the total since the first week of the outbreak in March, when 11 lives were lost.

Covid accounted for just 1.3% of all deaths registered last week, down from a peak of 36%.

READ MORE: Scotland records no confirmed Covid-19 deaths for seven straight days

The total number of deaths in Scotland from July 6 to 12, from all causes, was 969, or 5.5% below the five-year average of 1,025.

This is the third week in a row where total deaths have been below the long-term average. 

According to latest death registration figures collated by NRS, total Covid deaths fell last week from 18 to 13, compared to weekly peak of 661 in mid-April.

Of all deaths involving Covid between March and June 2020, 92% had at least one pre-existing condition, with dementia and Alzheimer’s the most common at 31%.

People in the most deprived areas were 2.1 times more likely to die with Covid than those living in the least deprived areas.

People living in larger urban areas were over four times more likely to die with Covid than those in remote locations.

More than three quarters (77%) of all deaths involving COVID-19 to date were of people aged 75 or over.

Coronavirus deaths in care homes rose from five to seven last week, while deaths in hospitals fell from 12 to five. 

The number of deaths per week from Covid in care homes has been running ahead of those in hospital since the week ending April 27.

Last week, the cumulative total was 1,947 deaths in care homes, or 46.5%, and 1,942 deaths on wards, or 46.4%.

The NRS tally includes cases where suspected Covid-19 was recorded as a factor on the death certificate, as well as Covid cases confirmed by a laboratory.

It is considered more accurate than the daily running total produced by Health Protection Scotland (HPS).

The NRS cumulative figure was 68.2% higher than the 2,490 deaths recorded by HPS as of July 12.

At the Covid peak in April, the total number of deaths was 80% above average, with 878 so-called ‘excess deaths’ in a single week.

However the total number of deaths in Scotland from July 6 to 12, from all causes, was 969, or 5.5% below the five-year average of 1,025.

This is the third week running with total deaths are below the long-term average, suggesting Covid may have claimed the lives of some people who might have died from other causes. 

In the period covering the 17 weeks of the outbreak, there were 2,382 excess deaths in care homes (58% above average), 2,624 excess deaths at home or in noninstitutional settings (54% above average), with hospital deaths overall 2% below average.  

Scottish Labour highlighted the 363 excess dementia deaths among care home residents during the pandemic, which were in addition to the 1,947 Covid deaths in care homes. 

The party said a significant number of care home residents with dementia were isolated in their rooms for months during the crisis as a result of mixed government guidance and the failure to ensure that frontline care workers had essential PPE at the outset of this crisis.

MSP Monica Lennon said: “The spike in care home dementia deaths is a tragic reminder of the scandalous way older people have been treated.

“A review into the 363 excess dementia-related deaths that have occurred in care homes must get underway before more lives are lost.

“For people living with dementia being forced to self-isolate within care homes, with no family contact since March, has been confusing and deeply frightening.

“The Scottish Government has failed to properly safeguard care home residents, including those with dementia, throughout this crisis.

“Too many wrong calls on testing, PPE and access to healthcare have been to the detriment of care home residents, who are still being denied their rights.

“It is critical that the Scottish Government heeds the calls of the Scottish Human Rights Commission to put the human rights of care home residents at the centre of the public inquiry into Covid-19 in Scotland.”