Another 181 people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus – the biggest one-day jump since the outbreak began.
The latest figures take the grim death tally in the UK up from 578 to 759 – an increase of 31% on the total yesterday.
It took 13 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just above 100. It took a further eight days to reach the latest total of 759.
The number of people tested in the UK for coronavirus has also seen its biggest day-on-day increase since the outbreak began: up 8,911, from 104,866 tested as of 9am on March 26 to 113,777 tested as of 9am on March 27.
Just under 50,000 tests (46,801) were carried out in the seven days to 9am March 27.
In the previous seven days the number was 34,205.
The daily number of new confirmed cases of coronavirus has reached a new high, with 2,921 recorded in the 24 hours to 9am March 27.
The equivalent number for the previous 24 hours was 2,129.
Hundreds of thousands more people are thought to be infected.
Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said there are probably around 65,000 people in Scotland who infected with Covid-19.
She said: "I was quoted yesterday in some of the press as estimating that there were between 40,000 and 50,000 people in Scotland with coronavirus.
"While it's dangerous to go day by day, I want to really emphasise that I would now be estimating that there are more than 65,000 people in Scotland infected."
She said the "vast majority" of people may not realise they have contracted the disease or are self-isolating after experiencing symptoms.
Dr Calderwood added: "There will come a time where I will be able to talk to you about the numbers being infected and that rate slowing but that time is not yet and that time will not be for some weeks to come."
It came after a further eight deaths in Scotland were confirmed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, up to 33, with 1,059 positive cases.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde has recorded the highest number of cases with 299, followed by Lanarkshire with 140 and Lothian with 139.
In the UK, London is by far the most affected area with more than 3,000 cases.
Rutland in the East Midlands is the only place in mainland Britain to have no recorded cases of coronavirus so far.
