SIX patients are in intensive care with Covid-19 in Scotland, the highest number since June and up from one a week ago.
The latest figures come as 154 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the past 24 hours - more than a third of them in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde region.
Data on hospital admissions shows that there are six people in intensive care today, up from five on Monday.
The ICU admissions have been climbing steadily over the past seven days however.
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The last time they exceed five was on June 25, when seven Covid patients were in ICU.
There are a total of 264 people - including intensive care patients - in hospital with confirmed Covid, up six in 24 hours and from 243 a week ago.
They include 156 in the GGC region - up 142 in a week - and 75 in Lothian, compared to 71 a week ago.
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Professor Linda Bauld, an expert in public health at Edinburgh University, said: “The number of cases is really worrying even though the test positivity rate is still low.
"I don’t think we’re ever going to see those hospitalisations and deaths anywhere near what we had [previously] because we mostly know how to protect the nursing homes now, which is where the big risk was.
“But I think we are going to see more hospital admissions gradually creeping up because that is the pattern internationally.
“In France, while the hospital admissions are nowhere near what they were, they have seen an increase two or three weeks on from the rise in their cases.
“Let’s just hope it doesn’t get much worse.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the cluster of new cases in the Glasgow area "is causing us some concern".
She is due to chair a meeting of the Resilience Committee late this afternoon to consider what action may be necessary.
An update will be issued following the meeting.
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