THE number of people in hospital with Covid has soared to a record level for more than a year.

According to the latest official figures, which come ahead of the First Minister's update to Holyrood on Tuesday, some 1805 patients with the virus are being treated in hospital, the highest since February 4 last year when the total was 1812 before the vaccine programme was rolled out fully. 

It is also an increase of 169 since Wednesday last week when the chief medical officer warned of the pressures the high caseload was putting on the NHS.

Thousands of staff from the service are off sick due to the virus and the service is also facing the major challenge of catching up with a backlog of operations that were paused earlier in the pandemic.

Professor Sir Gregor Smith warned last week that the increase in hospitalisations "contribute to increased healthcare pressures which are immense for colleagues."

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon urged not to backtrack on lifting all Covid rules amid virus surge

The rise in hospital occupancy is especially being seen in individuals over the age of 60, but the chief medical officer added last Wednesday that occupancy is affected by background rates community transmission and longer length of stay as well as direct transmission of Covid-19. 

Scotland's legal Covid-19 restrictions, including the requirement to wear face masks, are currently due to end on March 21.

The country's vaccine passport scheme ended on 28 February, the same day the requirement for secondary pupils and staff to face coverings in the classroom ended.

Ms Sturgeon will give a coronavirus update in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday with the Conservatives urging her not to ease the lifting of restrictions.

READ MORE: When is Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid update as face masks set to be dropped in Scotland?

But public health expert Professor Andrew Watterson, of Stirling University, urged ministers to proceed with caution.

He told The Herald:"There are two problems in Scotland with its current Covid strategy and plans. Firstly, far too much reliance is being placed on the existence of low Covid hospital numbers as a basis for abandoning protections soon. 

"Secondly, paradoxically, the latest figures of patients in hospital ‘with covid’ are as high as they have been for over a year. Both  problems should give us serious pause for thought and flag the need for great caution.”  

He added: "The stress on the health service immediately is therefore significant and may be compounded further by long Covid pressures".  

The First Minister set out in her last update that from March 21 it would be expected that the legal requirement to wear face coverings in shops, hospitality venues and public transport will be downgraded to guidance.

However, she said the Scottish Government would be strongly recommending that people continue to wear masks in these locations.

Currently, businesses are legally required to take steps to reduce the spread of Covid, including physical distancing and screens.

These measures are also expected to end on March 21, as will the legal requirement to retain customers' contact details.

But Earlier today Sir Gregor said ministers will be advised to take a "cautious appeoach" to lifting the remaining coronavirus restrictions.

READ MORE: Thousands of NHS staff in Scotland off work for months with Covid

The latest figures showed there were 1,805 people in hospital on Sunday with recently confirmed Covid-19, up 142 on the previous day, with 27 people in intensive care, up four.

They revealed 627 patients with the virus were being treated in hospitals in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with 247 and 233 at NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian respectively. The remaining health boards were treating smaller numbers of patients.

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Sir Gregor said ministers will make a decision on whether to go ahead with lifting the face mask requirement shortly.

He said data shows some older people are beginning to adapt their behaviour by reducing their contacts slightly, while the use of face masks is also up.

Asked what advice he would give to ministers, he said: "I think that a cautious approach at this point in time is probably the right approach, and we're already seeing the public adopting those additional protections."

In the first week of March, an estimated one in every 18 Scots had Covid-19, data from the Office for National Statistics showed.

Sir Gregor said: "We've been keeping a close eye on these for the last three weeks, and clearly when you see cases begin to increase like this it does give you a little bit of concern."

Hospital occupancy began to rise around February 14, he said.

He added: "We're seeing more older population becoming impacted on this occasion, and that's leading to some longer lengths of stay, which is driving occupancy up as well."

Sir Gregor said there are "some hopeful signs" the hospital admission rate "has begun to kind of top out just a little bit over the course of the latter end of last week".

The Scottish Government said that due to a technical issue, Public Health Scotland (PHS) has been unable to provide the latest data on cases, deaths and vaccinations.

It said PHS is working hard to resolve the issue and hope to return to normal reporting on Tuesday.