The number of people in Scottish hospitals with Covid has reached a new high, even as the north-east reported a small decline in patient numbers.
There are currently 2,383 people with coronavirus being treated in hospital around Scotland, an increase of 23 since yesterday and another peak on the most significant wave of hospitalisation so far in the pandemic.
However, the number in intensive care with the virus has fallen by one to 20, continuing a downward trajectory since the most recent peak of 33 on March 15.
NHS Grampian hospital numbers hit a new high of 183 yesterday, but fell by four to 179 today, while NHS Highland’s figure of 145 is down five from the high of 150 recorded on March 25.
However, the number from the northern health board today is an increase of 10 since yesterday.
Across the country, there were 37 new deaths of people who recently tested positive for coronavirus.
They included one in Aberdeen City, two in the Highlands and one in the Western Isles.
That brings the total number of Covid deaths recorded in the Western Isles since the beginning of the pandemic to 27, with three in the last week alone.
There were 9,311 new cases of the virus identified around the country over the past 24 hours, an increase of almost 2,000 from yesterday’s figure.
The largest portion of those were recorded in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with both cities reporting more than 900 cases.
