Covid patients in Scottish hospitals hits highest ever level since start of pandemic

The number of patients in hospital in Scotland with coronavirus has reached the highest it has ever been since the start of the pandemic.

The latest figures show 2,128 patients were in hospital with the virus on Sunday, a record high, with 31 of those in intensive care.

A total of 9,533 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, and no new deaths.

Scottish Government officials warned this figure may be lower than normal given register offices are generally closed at weekends.

So far, 4,449,246 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, 4,175,197 have received their second dose, and 3,476,291 have received a third dose or booster.

Last week during First Minster’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is possible, in terms of impact on our NHS, this week will be perhaps the toughest in the pandemic so far and everyone who is working to help us through is doing a sterling job and they have the deep gratitude of me and this Government.”

Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf made similar comments when he appeared before the Covid-19 Recovery Committee earlier, saying: “I’m not speaking out of turn by saying, in the conversations that I’ve had in the course of this week with health boards and my officials have had this week, many of the health boards have given us the consistent message that they feel that this week is probably the toughest week they have faced in the course of the pandemic."