More than 70% of eligible Scots have received booster jabs with vaccination centres due to remain open across Scotland on Christmas Eve.
About 70,000 people have come forward during the last two days to try and slow the spread of Covid during the festive period.
Statistics released by Public Health Scotland on December 23 show there has been 6,215 Covid cases diagnosed in the previous 24 hours.
It is the second-highest total since September 11 with only the 6,734 reported on Monday, December 20 being higher.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average for cases continues to rise, currently sitting at 5724.4, having been at less than half that total at 2596.7 on December 1.
The latest figures come with a test positivity rate of 12.7%, significantly higher than the 7.9% reported on December 1.
There have been 11 deaths reported following a positive Covid diagnosis with one of them in the NHS Highland region.
What is the data locally?
The latest information on December 23 includes 180 new Covid cases in the Aberdeen City region and a further 173 in Aberdeenshire.
However, Moray currently has the highest positivity rate in the north and north-east with a further 110 cases meaning it has reported 594.5 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days – putting it 21st out of Scotland’s 32 council areas.
Meanwhile, Highland has reported 109 cases with a further 31 in Orkney, 21 in Shetland and 14 in the Western Isles.
Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles currently occupy six of the bottom eight regions in Scotland with the lowest seven-day case rate per 100,000 people – joined by Angus and Dumfries and Galloway.
How is the vaccine rollout going?
Figures from Public Health Scotland on December 23 show a further 73,701 booster vaccines have been injected into arms – meaning 62.5% of all over 18s, or 2,775,181 people, have now had one.
It is understood the Public Health Scotland statistic varies from the 70% of “eligible” Scots receiving a booster figure because it includes those still ineligible while waiting 12 weeks from their second jab.
Meanwhile, a further 1,414 first doses and another 3,206 second doses have also been administered.
The totals mean that 89% of all over 18s have had two jabs while 93.1% have had one.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Centres will be re-opening from December 27, so please book an appointment today, or look out for drop-ins, so you can join the thousands of people who have been boosted by the bells.
“Getting vaccinated is your civic duty, you not only protect yourself, but your loved ones, those you interact with and the country as whole, so please get your booster as soon as you can.”
A further 43 admissions to hospital have been made, meaning 540 patients are in hospital in Scotland with a Covid diagnosis.
The figure has shown signs of beginning to rise from the low of 494 reported on December 18 – but is still significantly lower than the peak of about 1,100 reported in September.
