The Omicron Covid variant continues to sweep across Scotland more than a month after it was first discovered here.
Daily infection numbers have reached record highs in Scotland over recent days following two weeks of festive mixing.
The Scottish Government recorded more than 20,000 new daily Covid cases on Monday, which is the highest figure recorded since the start of the Covid crisis in March 2020.
Nicola Sturgeon revealed that the number of new reported cases of Covid has increased by 87 per cent over the past week.

The First Minister pinned this on the “rapid and very widespread” transmission of the new Covid variant.
While officials remain concerned over the transmissibility of Omicron, there have been early studies that have shown the risk of hospitalisation from the variant is lower when compared to other strains.
But hospitalisations have creeped up to over 1,000 in Scotland for the first time since September.
The Scottish Government has released the latest data on the Omicron variant today.
Confirmed Omicron case numbers
Health officials in Scotland have so far recorded a total of 21,832 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant.
A total of 8,183 of those Omicron infections were reported by the Scottish Government on January 5.
It is believed that the actual number of cases of the new variant is much higher.
The Scottish Government say that 91.1 per cent of tests contained what is known as an S Gene dropout - which is said to be a defining feature of Omicron.
Hospitalisations and ICU
So far, 154 people in Scotland with the Omicron variant have been hospitalised according to the latest data.
Only three people with confirmed Omicron have required intensive care treatment due to escalating symptoms from the variant.
Confirmed Omicron cases by area
The Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area has recorded the most confirmed Omicron infections - with 6,027 discovered so far.
This area is then followed by the Lothian and the Lanarkshire NHS areas.
Omicron has been detected in every Scottish health board area by public health officials.
The numbers of confirmed Omicron infections per health board area are as follows:
- Greater Glasgow and Clyde - 6,027
- Lothian - 4,327
- Lanarkshire - 3,736
- Ayrshire and Arran - 1,582
- Grampian - 1,266
- Tayside - 1,174
- Forth Valley - 1,063
- Fife - 1,039
- Highland - 751
- Dumfries and Galloway - 398
- Borders - 394
- Orkney - 20
- Shetland - 18
- Western Isles - 7
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.