FIVE people died in the Borders last week with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate.

New figures were published today (Wednesday, December 23) by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) showing deaths recorded between December 14 and 20.

A total of 94 people in the region have now had the virus mentioned on their death certificate since March.

Scotland recorded 6,298 deaths for the year up to December 20.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: NHS Borders issues warning over new strain

Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at the NRS, said: “Every death from this virus is a tragedy, and these statistics represent the heartbreak of many families and communities across the country.

“Today’s statistics show a slight reduction again in the number of COVID-19 related deaths when compared to last week’s figures.

“The majority of deaths occurred in hospitals, representing 124 deaths. [A total of] 71 deaths occurred in care homes, and eight occurred at home or in a non-institutional setting.”