NICOLA Sturgeon has warned people in Scotland they face a “crucial time” to “avoid the virus running ahead of the vaccine”.

It comes as Scotland records it’s highest ever number of daily cases.

Here is the First Minister’s unscheduled Covid announcement in full:

"We’re seeing a steep rise in Covid cases in Scotland right now, as we face the faster transmitting Delta strain of the virus.

The good news is that vaccines are providing significant protection, we’re not at this stage seeing a commensurate rise in the numbers of people in hospital or becoming seriously ill from this virus, but it’s important that we are not complacent.

There are still many people who don’t yet have both doses of the vaccine, we’re going as fast as we can, but we still have a significant proportion of the population that is not fully vaccinated.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon gives unscheduled Covid update as Scotland's cases at all-time high

So if we are to avoid the virus running ahead of the vaccine, it’s really important that all of us take care and be cautious so I’m asking everybody across Scotland at this crucial time as we look ahead hopefully to the finishing line to do all of the things that help slow the virus down.

Make sure you are keeping at a safe distance from people in other households, make sure you are washing your hands and surfaces regularly, please wear your face coverings and stay outdoors if you are seeing people in other households as much as possible, because that lowers the risk of transmission.

So let’s all keep working together to slow the virus down, while we allow the vaccination programme to get ahead.

That will get us safely to the end point if we all pull together, for this next period. Thank you very much."

Latest cases in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon's statement came as Scottish Government figures for Monday show 3,285 people had reported positive Covid-19 tests overnight.

This beats the previous record of 2,999 new cases on Thursday, which topped the largest number of 2,969 recorded the previous day and the high of 2,649 on January 7.

No new deaths had been recorded, meaning the toll under this daily measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – remains at 7,712.

But the daily test positivity rate is 12.6%, up from 8.9% the previous day, and is the highest figure since 14.8% was recorded on January 8.

A total of 202 people were in hospital on Sunday with recently confirmed Covid-19, with 20 patients in intensive care.

So far, 3,765,379 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 2,691,775 have received their second dose.

The Scottish Government said Public Health Scotland was aware of an “ongoing delay” in results from the Glasgow Lighthouse laboratory.

The cause of the delay was being investigated but the facility was continuing to issue results as tests were processed.