THREE people in the Borders died last week with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate, according to new statistics.

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) published an update today (Wednesday, January 20).

The figures show that 110 people in the Borders have had the virus listed on their death certificate since last March.

A total of 368 virus-related deaths were recorded across Scotland over the past week – taking the toll to 7,448 since the pandemic began.

Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at NRS, said: "Each statistic represents heartbreak for families and friends across the country.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: The latest on Borders cases and the number in intensive care

"Assessing trends in death registrations is difficult at this time of year due to the impact of registration office closures over the Christmas period and the increased registration activity which occurs in the following weeks.

"Our analysis looking at deaths by date of occurrence provides a clearer picture of the trend and shows that deaths began to increase in mid-December and this has continued through the early part of January.

"This week’s report provides a provisional estimate of the number of excess deaths for the full year 2020.

"Deaths were 11 per cent higher in 2020 than the average of the previous five years, representing the highest level of excess deaths since 1940."

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