Another 16,857 Covid cases have been diagnosed in Scotland – with people across the nation urged to stay safe if they are gathering to see in the new year.
Latest data has been published by the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) this afternoon as part of the national Covid-19 daily briefing.
Nationally, there are 810 patients with the disease being treated in hospital which is a rise of 131 from yesterday's reported figure. There are currently 34 people being treated in ICUs.
The number of newly-reported positive coronavirus cases recorded by NHS Ayrshire & Arran has rocketed by 1,094 to 63,857.
Of the new cases reported, 415 were in East Ayrshire, 379 attributed to North Ayrshire and 299 in South Ayrshire.
A total of 902,889 positive tests have now been recorded from 3.953 million tests carried out since the start of the pandemic.
According to Public Health Scotland's rolling seven-day infection rate per 100,000 population, Renfrewshire has the highest rate in the country – at 1,743.1 as of Wednesday, December 29.
East Dunbartonshire has the second-highest infection rate at 1,657.9 while East Renfrewshire is third with 1,655.2.
In terms of Ayrshire's local authorities, East Ayrshire's is 1,347.9; it is 1,187.8 in South Ayrshire and North Ayrshire's is 1,088.3.
A total of 18 of Scotland's 32 council regions have an infection rate below the national average of 1,256.1.
7-day infection rate per 100,000 population for each council area...
472.2 Shetland Islands
569.8 Na h-Eileanan Siar
715.7 Highland
767.9 Argyll & Bute
770.1 Dumfries & Galloway
789.6 Aberdeenshire
803.8 Angus
919.0 Aberdeen City
936.2 Moray
944.6 Perth & Kinross
987.9 Fife
991.1 Orkney Islands
1,022.7 Dundee City
1,083.4 East Lothian
1,088.3 North Ayrshire
1,187.8 South Ayrshire
1,188.0 Scottish Borders
1,241.3 Falkirk
1,266.8 Midlothian
1,347.9 East Ayrshire
1,366.6 West Lothian
1,404.0 City of Edinburgh
1,441.3 Stirling
1,460.3 Clackmannanshire
1,554.7 Glasgow City
1,558.8 West Dunbartonshire
1,578.0 Inverclyde
1,607.1 South Lanarkshire
1,619.0 North Lanarkshire
1,655.2 East Renfrewshire
1,657.9 East Dunbartonshire
1,743.1 Renfrewshire
A further nine deaths mean 9,845 people have passed away since March 2020.
However, data from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) shows 12,372 deaths had been registered up to Sunday, December 19 where the disease was mentioned on the death certificate.
Across the UK, the figure is 148,089 as of last night and 171,801 with Covid mentioned on the death certificate.
There are 89 patients with the disease being treated in Ayrshire hospitals, which is up six on yesterday, and fewer than five people in ICUs.
Nationally, a total of 4,381,226 people have received one dose of a Covid vaccine; 4,012,490 are double jabbed and 2,944,977 people have received a third dose/booster.
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