The number of people who have died in Scotland from coronavirus has reached 22.
The death toll has risen by 6 since Tuesday.
Meanwhile there are 51 people currently being treated in intensive care who have Covid-19 or who are showing symptoms of the virus.
At a daily briefing at the Scottish Government's headquarters in Edinburgh the First Minister said they were 'still in the process of verifying the total number of confirmed cases'.
The total number of positive cases currently stands at 584 but Nicola Sturgeon added that they expected to see that number rise 'in the days and weeks to come'.
She said: "It is clear that we are now seeing a rapid rise of coronavirus in Scotland and we have seen evidence of community transmission".
Sturgeon thanked the NHS staff for working 'incredibly hard and doing and an incredibly courageous job continuing to care so well for people suffering from the virus".
She also acknowledged those caring for people in care homes and other vulnerable members of the community and the 'critical work; of staff in supermarkets and essential stores.
She praised key workers who have children for finding creative solutions to childcare, saying only 1% of people have taken up childcare provided.
She said the number of cases of Covid-19 are set to rise sharply, and that everyone must act now to slow the spread of the virus.
