Scotland's National Clinical Director has praised Dumfries and Galloway residents for their response to the latest coronavirus lockdown.
Professor Jason Leitch said it was because people were sticking to the guidelines that the positivity rate had fallen.
At today's briefing, he said: "There are green shoots of hope in Dumfries and Galloway. You still remain with a case rate well above the Scottish average but it has fallen and that’s testament to the people of Dumfries and Galloway following the rules.
"Your positivity rate is still 10.2 per cent, your seven day average is 263 while the Scottish average is now 207 so you are still well above average and that happened quickly, but it has fallen.
"Bringing that number down depends on each and every one of you thinking as you open the door 'Do I actually have to open it?'."
Today's coronavirus figures show a further 57 people in the region have tested positive.
It takes the total since the pandemic began to 3,334. Of those cases, 1,629 have been in 2021.
There are currently 75 people in hospital, up six from yesterday, with 13 in intensive care, which is down one on wednesday.
Although positivity rates in Dumfries and Galloway have fallen for the second week running, health board chief executive Jeff Ace has called for people to keep following the rules with hospitals under extreme pressure.
There were 1,636 new cases in Scotland today, taking the overall total to 168,219.
There are 2,004 people in hospital with 161 in intensive care.
A further 89 people have died, taking the overall total to 5,468.
So far, 334,871 people in Scotland have received their first dose of the vaccine.
