One coronavirus death and 270 new cases recorded overnight

Scotland has recorded one coronavirus death and 270 new cases in the past 24 hours, the latest Scottish Government figures show.

It brings the death toll under this daily measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 7662.

A total of 228,693 have tested positive for the virus and the daily test positivity rate is 1.2%, down from 1.5% the previous day.

A total of 63 people were in hospital on Wednesday with recently confirmed Covid-19, with four patients in intensive care.

So far, 2,968,169 people have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 1,551,339 have received their second dose.

The figures come as new outbreaks of coronavirus were detected in several areas of Moray, including Lossiemouth, Keith and Aberlour.

NHS Grampian said on Thursday that additional mobile testing units are being deployed in communities across the region in a bid to bring the cases under control.

Moray is expected to remain under level three coronavirus restrictions next Monday following a surge in cases and an increase in hospital admissions.

The area recorded 100 infections per 100,000 of the population last week.

Concern is also growing over a rise in coronavirus cases in Glasgow, just days before the city is due to move under level two restrictions.

Over the last week, there have been 25 cases per 100,000 people across Scotland. Glasgow is more than double that at 58 per 100,000.

But Pollokshields, in the southside of Glasgow, has the highest transmission rate in Scotland – 575 per 100,000, which is just slightly higher than in Easterhouse, in the east end of the city.

Most of mainland Scotland will move to level two of the Scottish Government’s five-tier Covid-alert system as scheduled from next Monday.

A decision will be made soon on whether Moray should remain in level three.

Many of Scotland’s islands will move to level one due to vaccination coverage and low case numbers.