East Renfrewshire has now gone five weeks without a death from Covid-19.

Latest figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), covering the week ending May 2, show the total number of fatalities in the area since the pandemic began more than a year ago remains at 225.

East Renfrewshire is one of 20 out of 32 council areas in Scotland that recorded no deaths involving Covid-19.

The area had previously reported at least one coronavirus death each week between October 4 and March 28.

At council level, the highest number of Covid deaths last week took place in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, which both recorded three fatalities.

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 19 last week and now stands at 10,097.

Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at NRS, said: “We continue to see a progressive decline in the number of deaths involving Covid-19 since January and, while that trend is very welcome, I am mindful that each represents a painful loss for a family."