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

Latest figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS), covering the week ending May 9, show the total number of fatalities in the area since the pandemic began more than a year ago remains at 225.

East Renfrewshire was one of 26 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.

North Lanarkshire was the only council area to record more than one Covid death last week, with two people losing their lives to the disease.

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 seven last week and now stands at 10,104.

Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at NRS, said the weekly death toll was the lowest since September.

He added: “Every death from this virus represents loss and grief for families."