ARGYLL and Bute's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has risen by three during the week from February 1.

According to National Records of Scotland data, published on Wednesday, a further three people died between February 1-7 where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

The region's total since the outbreak of the virus last March now stands at 94 - the sixth lowest among Scotland's 32 local authority areas.

There have been eight deaths relating to Covid in Argyll and Bute this year, including two in each of the previous two weeks.

Meanwhile a further 50 deaths have been registered in Scotland in the last 24 hours where Covid has been mentioned on the death certificate.

As of February 7, 8,726 deaths have been registered throughout the country where Covid was a contributing factor.

In the week February 1-7, 374 deaths involving Covid were registered; this is a decrease of 70 from the previous week's total.

In more positive news, the number of people in Scotland who have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine is fast approaching the milestone one million mark.

It has now been two months since the vaccination programme began, and since then, 985,569 have received the first dose.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed the number as "nothing short of extraordinary" as she took into account the extreme weather being experienced across the nation at FMQs on Wednesday.

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