A quarter of Scotland's coronavirus deaths are in care homes

A quarter of deaths in Scotland involving COVID-19 are happening in care homes, according to National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Some 237 people have died in care homes of COVID-19 out of the 962 deaths in Scotland registered up to 12 April.

The total figure of 962 refers to the number of deaths inside and out of hospital involving coronavirus as registered on death certificates.

40% of Scotland's care homes have outbreaks

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says 433 care homes in Scotland have reported COVID-19 outbreaks – that’s 40 per cent of all care homes in Scotland.

There are over 1,000 care homes in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon said the figures were "hard to hear" and said she “expected these figures to rise unfortunately”.

The National Records of Scotland publishes figures every Wednesday where COVID-19 is recorded on a death certificate as a confirmed, suspected or probable cause of death.

The figures differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish government.

The total number of all deaths registered in Scotland from 6-12 April was 1,969, with COVID-19 accounting for a third (more than 31 per cent) of all deaths in the country that week.

The majority (70 per cent) of all registered deaths involving COVID-19 were of people aged 75 or over.

In response to questions about limited testing in care homes, Nicola Sturgeon said she would look to ensure the testing of all patients in care homes who were showing COVID-19 symptoms.

She said the UK government has given her "assurances" that NHS England and Public Health England have not instructed personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers to give preference to England over Scotland.

Donald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care has said care homes are struggling to access PPE to keep care workers and residents safe.

The chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents the majority of private care providers in Scotland, has urged @MattHancock to reassure PPE suppliers in England that the NHS is not a priority over social care and that "social care, regardless of where it is delivered in the United Kingdom, is a priority".