A further 500 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland during the past 24 hours.
Speaking during the daily briefing on the state of the pandemic in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the pandemic began now stands at 204,055.
The test positivity rate was recorded at 2.5%, well below the 5% the World Health Organisation considers the marker for an epidemic being under control.
A total of 24 new deaths were registered on Wednesday, along with a further three which were added when it became apparent Covid was a factor, taking the overall toll from the virus to 7398.
The number being treated in hospital stands at 726 - a fall of 24 in a day - with 69 being treated in intensive care, a drop of one
Ms Sturgeon said there were gorunds for optimism that the country was beating the virus, with the vaccination programme rolling out apace.
There have now been 1,688,808 people given a first dose of a vaccine, and increase of 27,729, while 100,058 have been given a second dose, a rise of 7,508.
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