As Scotland enters a "calmer phase" of the pandemic, Nicola Sturgeon said there was "renewed optimism" with Covid cases and hospital admissions now in decline.
The First Minister confirmed earlier this week that restrictions on pubs, nightclubs and indoor events will be scrapped on Monday January 24.
The easing of these restrictions comes after daily Covid cases hit a record high at the start of January, but throughout the month have steadily declined.
Ms Sturgeon said the latest data on infections and hospitalisations "gives us confidence that we have turned the corner on the Omicron wave".
According to the latest Scottish Government figures, more than 8,000 cases have been recorded the past two days, meaning that there is a slight increase in daily infections.
However, the numbers are far lower than the record high of 20,217 which was recorded on January 3.
Despite Scotland ‘turning a corner’ in the battle against covid, the virus still remains rife in certain areas.
Here are Scotland’s top 10 Covid hotspots from the week of January 11 – January 17, according to Public Health Scotland.
Where are the Covid hotspots in Scotland?
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East Lothian.
The east coast area is the area which has the most Covid cases per 100,000 people. East Lothian had 733 cases over a seven-day period, with 679.3 people per 100,000 contracting the virus and being told to self-isolate.
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Clackmannanshire.
With Clackmannanshire having a small population of just over 51,000 people, it means that the number of cases isn’t as high as other areas. However, in comparison to the population it is the second highest area of covid cases per 100,000 people. The area recorded 330 cases in the space of a week giving it 643.4 cases per 100,000 people.
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Falkirk.
The area of Falkirk recorded a total of 1,028 cases within the space of a week. It means that it is the third highest area of Covid cases with 640.3 per 100,000 people.
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Dundee City.
The Scottish city with the highest Covid rate is Dundee. The City of Discovery has a population of 149,000 people and recorded a total of 993 cases over one week giving it a seven-day rate per 100,000 of 624.3 cases.
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South Lanarkshire.
South Lanarkshire hit the headlines by storm last week with the area’s NHS saying it was dealing with record Covid case numbers and ongoing staff sickness absences, and that the “managed suspension of services” would be in place for the next four weeks. South Lanarkshire saw 2,007 cases over one week with a rate of 614.5 cases per 100,000 in the area that has a population of 320,000.
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Fife.
Fife recorded the same number of cases per 100,000 over a week as South Lanarkshire (614.5). With a population of 374,200 it recorded 2,229 cases.
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Aberdeen City.
Aberdeen City recorded more Covid cases in one week than the full area of Aberdeenshire. The City had a rate of 1,362 cases compared to Aberdeenshire’s 1,342, giving it a rate 594.6 cases per 100,000 people over seven days.
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Perth & Kinross.
Perth and Kinross recorded 894 cases in the area which has a population of 152,000 people. It’s seven-day date per 100,000 people was 588.5 cases.
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Glasgow City.
Scotland’s most densely populated area was sure to be in the top 10. Glasgow has a population of over 635,640 people. It recorded the highest number of cases in the country in a seven-day period, but because of its huge population its rate of cases per 100,000 people was 581.
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City of Edinburgh.
The capital borders with East Lothian but sits nine places down from its neighbour. The City of Edinburgh recorded the second highest number of cases in the country, but is also lower down the list like Glasgow due to its larger population of 527,600 people. It recorded 3,041 cases in the seven-day period giving it a rate of 575.4 cases per 100,000 people.
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