More than 2,200 people have died in Scotland with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

A total of 2,272 deaths involving the virus had been recorded as of Sunday April 26, with the proportion of coronavirus fatalities in care homes rising on last week to 39%.

The latest figures show more than half of deaths involving the virus between April 20 and April 26 occurred in care homes, at 338.

The figures are published weekly and account for all fatalities registered in Scotland where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.

They differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government using Health Protection Scotland (HPS) figures because they include suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.

As of April 26, the HPS death toll was 1,262.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said HPS figures as of 9am on Wednesday show 1,415 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19, up by 83 from Tuesday.

Of the deaths involving coronavirus registered by April 26, almost four in 10 (39%) – 886 – were in care homes, 52% (1,188) were in hospitals and 9% (197) were at home or non-institutional settings, with one fatality in an institutional setting.

In the figures published the previous week, care home deaths accounted for 33% of the total, with hospital deaths at 56%.

There were 656 deaths relating to Covid-19 registered between April 20 and April 26, a rise of four on the 652 registered between April 13 and April 19, according to the NRS.

The total number of all deaths registered in Scotland from April 20 to April 26 was 1,830 – nearly 68% higher than the five-year weekly average of 1,087. The previous week was 80% higher than the five-year weekly average.

Covid-19 accounted for the vast majority (85%) of the 743 excess deaths between April 20 and April 26 at 743, up from 74% the previous week.

A further 10% (71) of the excess deaths were due to dementia and Alzheimer’s, 6% (42) were attributed to deaths from other causes and 3% (26) were from circulatory issues such as heart disease and strokes.

Meanwhile, cancer deaths were three below average, and 24 fewer people died from respiratory issues than average.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of all deaths involving Covid-19 to date were of people aged 75 or over.

Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, the First Minister said: “These figures are difficult to hear and difficult and upsetting for me to report on as well.

“But this more comprehensive information is vital as it does help give us as full a picture as possible of the toll the virus is having and to see how and when it is progressing and where it is progressing and that is important as we take decisions in the future.

“The proportion of deaths in Scotland in care homes while obviously deeply distressing is, however, broadly in line with the proportions being reported now in many other countries.

“That demonstrates again how crucial it is to make care homes as safe as they can possibly be during a pandemic of this nature.”