Scotland's coronavirus death toll tops 3,000 but Nicola Sturgeon says it could soon be time to start relaxing restrictions

THE total number of people who have died in Scotland from coronavirus has now topped 3,000. But the weekly death toll has fallen for the second time running.

And Nicola Sturgeon said if transmission rates continued to fall, Scotland could begin to ease the lockdown restrictions.

The latest data from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) shows the total number of deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate was 3,213 as of May 10.

The number of deaths fell for the second week in a row, with 415 fatalities related to Covid-19 registered between May 4 and May 10, a decrease of 110 from the previous week.

Ms Sturgeon welcomed the fall in deaths. But she said: “That doesn’t mean we can relax yet, there are still too many cases, the reproduction rate of the virus is still higher than we would like and we continue to learn more about those most vulnerable to the disease.

“The trends we are seeing now are positive, if transmission rates continue to fall, we will be able to gradually relax the lockdown restrictions.”

However she insisted the Scottish Government wound continue to “err on the side of caution”.

She added: “Although we are seeing positive signs in the case numbers, those in hospital and those dying from this virus, we are not through this pandemic yet.”

For the first time, NRS has published analysis looking at the impact deprivation has on Covid-19 mortality.

It shows people living in the most deprived parts of Scotland were 2.3 times more likely to die with the virus than those living in the least deprived areas.

Separate analysis by NHS Lothian also found rates of Covid-19 infection are higher in the poorest parts of Scotland, with 22.7 per cent of cases in the most deprived areas of the country compared to 18.8 per cent in the most affluent.

Jim McCormick, associate director in Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “It can never be right that someone’s life chances are so profoundly affected by where they live or how much money their family has.

“It’s crucial that all aspects of the spread of this virus are carefully examined, but we know that people in areas with higher deprivation scores are less likely to have jobs where they can work from home.

“This means they may have to face a very significant drop in income or keep going to work, facing greater risks of catching virus.

“They are also more likely to live in overcrowded homes, increasing the risk for whole families. This just is not right.”

And another report found nearly half of families with children in Scotland are struggling to make ends meet during the crisis.

Using the Standard Life Foundation’s Covid-19 Financial Impact Tracker, IPPR Scotland found 49 per cent of families with dependent children are in “serious financial difficulty”. The figure equates to 300,000 households,

IPPR Scotland director Russell Gunson called on the Scottish and UK governments to do more and urged Holyrood to provide lump sum payments of £250 per child to low-income families this summer.

He said: “The scale of financial difficulties facing families with children in Scotland is truly shocking.

“Nearly half of them are in financial trouble, and one in five are facing serious financial difficulties, meaning they are likely to be struggling to pay for food or essential bills.

“The Covid-19 crisis is affecting everyone, but when it comes to the financial impact on families, it’s not hitting everyone equally.”

IPPR is also calling on the UK Government to increase the child supplements paid through Universal Credit by £10 per week and provide a £5 uplift in child benefit as the pandemic continues.

Mr Gunson said: “The UK Government must now consider additional support to families through the social security system.”

The NRS figures show the majority of coronavirus-linked deaths across Scotland in the week to May 10 were in care homes - 57 per cent, down from 60 per cent the week before.

And the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC told MSPs that coronavirus-related deaths of NHS workers and care home residents and staff will now need to be reported to the Crown Office.

The requirement to report coronavirus deaths to the Crown Office was relaxed earlier in the pandemic in order to reduce the burden on the medical profession.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Scotland’s most senior law officer said his officials have been reviewing the situation and concluded the two categories of deaths should be reported once more.

Mr Wolffe said: “In some cases, the investigation required may be quite limited. In other cases, it may be more extensive and that will depend on the particular circumstances.”

He said it would be premature for him to speculate on whether a fatal accident inquiry into any particular death, or categories of deaths from Covid-19 would or would not be appropriate.

But he added: “I’m confident that these arrangements will help to make sure that in due course we will as a society better understand the circumstances of these deaths.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray has written to Ms Sturgeon demanding answers over the Nike conference in the Capital at the end of February when at least 25 people are thought to have contracted the virus.

In his letter, he says: “It appears to me, and to the people of Edinburgh, that your government kept this outbreak from the public when it would clearly have been in the public interest to inform them.

“You said a few weeks ago that you wanted a ‘grown up conversation’ with the public on Covid-19. I am therefore compelled to ask why you believe the people of Edinburgh are not grown up enough to be told of a major outbreak of the virus in their own city centre?

“I am writing to you to seek a full and detailed explanation about why this decision to cover-up the outbreak was taken.”

And he poses a series of detailed questions: “When and how were you personally informed of the outbreak; which other ministers knew and when; who was involved in the decision not to inform the public; was the UK Government informed and what was its response; and why was the decision taken?

“You said that you are satisfied that all necessary steps were taken. I don’t doubt this to be the case, but how many of the conference attendees were in touch with the wider public? How many used local transport, shops, restaurants, bars, taxis, the airport, trains, and other local services?”