Deaths involving COVID-19 Week 48, 23th - 29th November

As at 29th November, 5,634 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published by National Records of Scotland (NRS) today.

Between 23rd and 29th November, 252 deaths were registered which mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, an increase of 6 deaths from the previous week.

Over two-thirds of the people who died in the latest week were aged 75 and over, and 14% were aged under 65.

In the latest week, there were 51 COVID-related deaths in the Glasgow City council area, 30 in South Lanarkshire, and 24 in North Lanarkshire.

The majority of deaths occurred in hospitals, representing 165 deaths. 75 deaths occurred in care homes and 12 occurred at home or in a non-institutional setting.

To place these statistics in context, the number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 29th November was 1,316, 16% higher than the average over the previous five years.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said: 

“Every death from this virus is a tragedy, and these statistics represent the heartbreak of many families and communities across the country.

“Today’s statistics show a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 related deaths when compared to last week’s figures.

“Excess deaths from all causes began to increase in October, but this is almost entirely due to the corresponding rise in COVID-19 deaths. Deaths from causes such as respiratory diseases and cancer are below average levels for this time of year.”

The publication Deaths involving coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland is available on the NRS website.