No deaths from Covid-19 were recorded in East Renfrewshire last week – for the first time in six months.

Latest figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), which cover the week from March 29 to April 4, show the total number of deaths in the area since the pandemic began more than a year ago remains at 225.

The last time East Renfrewshire reported no deaths from coronavirus over a seven-day period was the week ending October 4.

Glasgow had the highest number of Covid deaths last week, with six fatalities recorded, followed by Edinburgh, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, each of which had three deaths.

The figures include all fatalities registered where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate and, as this includes suspected or probable cases, it differs from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government.

Across Scotland as a whole, the death toll increased by 38 last week and now stands at 9,997.

Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at NRS, said: “We are seeing an encouraging reduction in the number of deaths involving Covid-19 but I am very conscious that these figures represent painful losses for families across Scotland."