A further 36 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus across the north and north-east in the past 24 hours.
The latest figures from the Scottish Government show the total number of confirmed cases in the Grampian area is up by 36 – from 602 to 638.
Confirmed cases in the Highlands has not changed since yesterday’s total of 214.
The islands have had no new cases in the past since Wednesday with a total of 66 across Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles.
In the north-east, 155 people are in hospital with confirmed or suspected coronavirus and nine in intensive care, and x people in the Highlands.
You can figures for all Scottish health boards here
As of today 1,710 people remain in hospital across Scotland, a decrease of 38 over the past 24 hours – 141 people are in intensive care a decrease of seven.
Since March 5, a total of 2,271 patients that had tested positive for Covid-19 and admitted to hospital have now been able to return home.
Today Nicola Sturgeon reiterated the importance of staying at home despite the significant decreases in hospital admissions, she said: “These figures are giving us real and growing cause for optimism that the current lockdown is working to suppress the virus.
“That also tells us why we must stick with these lockdown restrictions – any easing up would risk us putting all of that progress into reverse.”
The First Minister continued: “Moving on from where we are now will be possible only if and only when we get this virus under control and we have more confidence that that is the case.
“So it remains absolutely vital all of us continue to comply with the public health guidance and rules that are in place.
“By following these rules we can continue, as we are doing right now, to slow the spread of the virus and we can hasten the day when we return, if not to complete normality in the foreseeable future, then at least to some semblance of normality in our every day lives.”
<h4>Follow below for the key coronavirus updates:</h4>