Nicola Sturgeon announced that the total number of positive cases reported in the last 24 hours was 1,949, which represents 10.2 per cent of all tests carried.

That takes the total number of cases to 155,372.

The First Minister also confirmed that as of yesterday 191,965 people had received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. 

She added that 1,794 are currently in hospital with Covid-19, which is 77 more than yesterday.

1,005 patients were admitted to hospital in the week up to January 7 alone.

134 people are currently in intensive care, an increase of one from yesterday.

In the past 24 hours, a further 79 deaths were also registered, the First Minister said. 

The death toll – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – is now 5,102.

It comes as National Records of Scotland has published its weekly update - showing coronavirus-linked deaths in Scotland have risen above 7,000, according to new figures.

Made with Flourish

A total of 7,074 people have died in Scotland with confirmed or suspected coronavirus as of Sunday, National Records of Scotland (NRS) statistics released on Wednesday indicate.

Between January 4 and 10, 384 deaths were registered which mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, up 197 on the previous week.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of these deaths in the week to January 10 were people aged 75 and over, and 9% were aged under 65.

By local authority area, the highest number of deaths occurred in North Lanarkshire at 53, followed by Glasgow at 50 and Edinburgh at 34.

The majority of deaths – 251 – were in hospitals, 113 in care homes and 19 at home or in a non-institutional setting.

The statistics cover all deaths registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

They differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government because the NRS figures include suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.