The number of weekly Covid-19 deaths has dropped to a two-month low, the latest figures show. 

There were 57 deaths involving the virus in the week ending August 21 - a decrease of ten from the previous week. 

Data from the National Records of Scotland shows there have now been 15,550 deaths registered where the virus was mentioned on the death certificate since the start of the pandemic. 

The weekly total is the lowest since the week ending June 20. 

The most recent figure includes 12 deaths in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS area, and eight in NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Highland.

A total of 41 of the deaths registered in the most recent week occurred in hospital, nine in care homes, and seven in what are classed “non-institutional settings”.

The figures were released the day after separate data showed the number of Covid patients in Scotland’s hospitals has fallen by more than 12per cent in a week.

Public Health Scotland found that in the week ending August 21, there were on average 819 patients with the virus receiving in-patient care – down 12.3% on the previous week.