More than 600 fresh cases of coronavirus have been identified during the past 24 hours, Nicola Sturgeon has said - the largest rise in eight weeks. 

The First Minister confirmed that 641 new cases of the virus have been recorded since Thursday, an increase of 177 on the day before.  

During that time there were two deaths of someone who tested positive for the disease within the past 28 days, meaning the death toll under this measure 7,668.

Ms Sturgeon was delivering a televised briefing where she outlined the current restrictions Glasgow will be under weeks after the city was placed in tier three due to rising levels of the virus. 

She said that 234 of the new cases were in Glasgow, 132 in Lothian, and 104 in Lanarkshire.

READ MORE: Conservatives call for local lockdowns and targeted testing

Separate figures from National Records of Scotland, which count the number where Covid-19 was mentioned on a death certificate, put the toll at 10,114 as of 23 May.

Out of the new tests which that reported results, 2.6% were positive, lower than the 5% the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes indicates a pandemic is coming under control. 

READ MORE: NHS Tayside in plea for help as Covid cases rise in Dundee

According to the latest statistics, the vaccination programme has now administered 3,196,051 first doses, while 1,971,006 people have received a second, taking the overall total to more than five million. 

A total of 90 people remain in hospital receiving treatment for the virus, up seven on the previous day, while six are in intensive care, an increase of two.