Fewer patients with Covid are being treated in NHS Grampian hospitals than at any point since mid-November, the latest Scottish Government statistics show.
There are 39 patients with the virus in the north-east, with five of them being treated in intensive care.
NHS Highland is currently treating 28 people with the virus, which is their lowest number for a month. Seven of those patients are in intensive care.
The hospitalisation trend appears to be similar in Scotland as a whole, with the latest figure of 1,317 patients is the lowest since January 4.
There were 53 new cases of Covid reported in the NHS Grampian region in the last 24 hours – a breakdown of local authorities shows there were 12 cases in Moray, 19 in Aberdeen and 21 in Aberdeenshire.
The Highlands reported 26 new cases, while Shetland and Orkney did not report any.
In the Western Isles, where eight people are currently being treated in hospital with the virus, two new cases were recorded by the local health board.
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread in these charts and maps
Across Scotland, 1,211 new cases were reported, the second-highest amount since January.
The test positivity rate, however, was 5.2%, close to the 5% threshold used to determine whether the spread of the virus is under control.
The country also recorded 64 deaths of people who had tested positive for Covid in the past 24 hours.
Reflecting Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement that the number of vaccines given out this week would be lower than last week, 32,070 people received their first dose in the past day.
The first minister said this was due to a slower supply and high uptake.
However, a new record was set for the number of second doses delivered, with 3,272 people vaccinated.
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