The current spike in Covid-19 cases caused by a sub-variant of Omicron could reach its peak in the next few weeks, a virologist suggested.
'Stealth' Omicron also known as the BA.2 sub-variant now accounts for 80 per cent of Scotland's coronavirus cases.
The dominance of the sub-variant is said to be driving rapid increase in Scottish cases, becoming the dominant strain north of the border sooner than in England and Wales.
The latest figures also showed that almost 40,000 people have tested positive for the virus since Saturday.
READ MORE: Sturgeon confirms most free Covid testing to end in Scotland next month
Dr Christine Tait-Burkard, a research fellow in the department of infection and immunity at Edinburgh University, told BBC Radio Scotland that the cases could reach a peak even this week.
She said: "It is indeed kind of in line with what we are seeing with the new subvariant of Omicron, which is a really big spike in cases.
"In fact, we have the most cases in the population at this point than ever before in the pandemic."
"It's also realistic to look at this from a two-week perspective because what we are seeing in the numbers is that we could probably peak this week or the week thereafter in terms of cases."
Yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon announced that face coverings will remain a legal requirement in certain public spaces and on public transport.
All other legal Covid-19 restrictions will end as planned on March 21, with the expectation that the law on face coverings would become guidance in "early April".
READ MORE: Facemask law extended until April - but free lateral flow kits for all set to end
Speaking on Good Morning Scotland, deputy First Minister John Swinney spoke on the BA.2 variant becoming dominant sooner in Scotland than in England.
"The virus seeps in different ways and it circulates in different communities at different paces and we have seen this throughout the pandemic," Mr Swinney said.
"Throughout the pandemic, there have been variants that have been more dominant in open country rather than the other but they all tend to catch up with each other to be honest.
"We are ahead of the curve but we can see through hospital admissions for example that the number of people going into hospital is beginning to recede."
He did warn that hospital occupancy of patients with Covid remains high, but that the slowing in admissions is an "encouraging sign that the peak is being reached or is about to be reached".
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