Five health boards in Scotland are amongst the worst-hit regions by Covid-19 in Europe according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
On Wednesday, the country reached a record high for new cases over night as numbers soared above 5,000.
5,021 new cases were recorded, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic.
Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian, and Tayside were all listed as Covid-19 hotspots.
The NHS Dumfries and Galloway health board is the worst hit region in Scotland by the virus. In the week ending August 22, 2021 a total of 913 new cases were recorded, more than doubling from 452 the week before.
Numbers of close contacts rose to 2186, and as with cases, more than double the 1059 recorded the previous week.
Cases remain high in Greater Glasgow and Clyde which is the second worst-hit Scottish region with 582.2 cases per 100,000.
NHS Lanarkshire has also experienced rising cases with Covid-19 affecting 557.9 in 100,000.
READ MORE: Scotland records more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases overnight
The health board announced on Wednesday August 25 announced it had been forced to postpone the majority of non-urgent elective procedures for the next couple of weeks to free up staff and beds for urgent care.
The health board added that it was overwhelmed and that the decision was taken as a result of the unprecedented pressures currently being faced across the three acute sites.
In NHS Lothian the rate of coronavirus is 440.7 per 100,000 people.
Two weeks ago, the health board halted non-urgent elective operations amid staff shortages and rising patient demand.
It also postponed non-urgent outpatient appointments.
NHS Tayside was the final health board on the European hotspot list recording 437.8 case per 100,000 on August 25.
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