Covid cases have surged in Moray to give the region the second highest current seven-day average in Scotland.
The area has had among the lowest case numbers on the Scottish mainland throughout the pandemic.
However, the latest Scottish Government information has Moray as one of the current coronavirus hotspots in the country.
Statistics show the region has reported 453 new cases in the last seven days.
It means the area has a seven-day rate of 473.3 cases per 100,000 people – behind only Falkirk in the national charts, which has a rate of 568.6.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen City is sixth in the national charts with 938 cases in the last week to give it a seven-day case rate of 409.5 per 100,000 people.
Aberdeenshire is currently 13th out of Scotland’s 32 local authorities with a seven-day case rate of 352.4 per 100,000 people.
And the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland continue to occupy three of the bottom four spots in the country with the other being filled by Glasgow City.
Highland is 25th with a seven-day case rate of 279.9 per 100,000 people.
Further travel restrictions could be imposed
The figures are released as Nicola Sturgeon issued a fresh warning that further travel restrictions could be be imposed due to the threat of the Omicron variant of the virus.
The first minister spoke out as new travel restrictions were imposed by the UK Government after two cases of the new Covid-19 strain were confirmed in England.
Scotland will also impose the travel restrictions, which will see all passengers arriving in the UK required to take a PCR test and remain in isolation until they receive a negative result.
That will apply to everyone, regardless of their vaccination status.
While no cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in Scotland as yet, Nicola Sturgeon warned that further travel restrictions may be necessary.
She said: “There are no cases identified in Scotland yet that I know of; clearly that is a moving picture.”
She added: “We have stepped up surveillance, we are monitoring this very, very carefully.
“I hope we don’t identify cases in Scotland but I think we should assume we will. Therefore, I am asking people to behave right now as if this new variant is present in Scotland, comply with all the mitigations and protections that are currently in place, pick up our compliance, and that will help us, if it is here, slow down any risk of transmission.”
While she stressed the need for a “proportionate response” to this latest development in the pandemic, Ms Sturgeon added: “I think we may have to go further on restricting travel in the days to come.
“I hope I am wrong about that, but we must keep our minds open to that.”