More than 100 people with Covid were being treated at NHS Grampian hospitals on Friday, the first time that figure has been surpassed since January last year.
There were 103 patients with the virus in the north-east on January 28, the highest in the area since 105 were recorded exactly a year before.
This number has since dipped down again to 95 – still, however, among the highest daily figures recorded since last winter.
The hospitalisation figure for NHS Highland, on the other hand, has been on a downward trend since a peak of 43 in the middle of this month, according to the latest Scottish Government figures.
It reached its lowest point of 2021 so far on Saturday, when there were 17 patients in hospital with the virus, but has since slightly increased again to 21 today.
Across the country, there are 1,206 people with Covid in hospital, the fewest since January 4, while 35 people are in intensive care, 12 of whom have been there for at least 28 days.
Case numbers fall
There were 5,887 new cases of coronavirus identified in Scotland, the first time fewer than 6,000 have been recorded nationwide since before Christmas.
Aberdeen had the fourth-highest number of daily new cases among Scottish local authorities, with 152.
There were 64 new cases in the Highlands, 58 in Aberdeenshire, 37 in Moray, six in Orkney, three in Shetland and none recorded in the Western Isles.
No new deaths have been recorded in Scotland today, though this is likely due to the fact that register offices are normally closed at weekends.
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