Scotland's Covid infection levels are at their highest since estimates began.

According to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Scotland has seen levels rise for six weeks in a row. 

One in 18 people in private households in Scotland are estimated to have had the virus in the week to March 5, or with 299,900.

The previous record was 297,400 people in the first week of this year.

The ONS infection survey is the most reliable measure of the prevalence of coronavirus in the UK, and its latest findings provide the clearest indication so far that the broad downwards trend in infections since January has come to a halt.

Estimates for the next few weeks will confirm whether a new upward trend in infections is now under way.

It comes as separate figures show the number of people in hospital with Covid in Scotland is now higher than the January Omicron peak.

Sharing news of the hospital figures on Twitter, Nicola Sturgeon warned that Covid has not "gone away", urging people to keep wearing face coverings.

The First Minister said: "Life is much more normal again - thankfully - but this is a reminder that Covid hasn’t gone away.

"Vaccines are protecting most of us from worst impacts of the virus - but many do still end up in hospital.

"Please continue to take sensible precautions, like wearing a mask".

The Scottish Government data for Thursday showed there are 1,636 Covid-positive patients in hospital, compared to 1,571 on January 19.

It is also up 88 per cent compared to 868 in mid-February.

The number who are in intensive care, at 22, is much lower but this has doubled from 11 on February 25.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said on Wednesday that recently rising Covid-19 case numbers are “concerning and a reminder that Covid is still with us”, and urged people to get their vaccinations.

The ONS figures show Covid infections have increased in all four nations of the UK.

It is the first time since the end of January that all nations have seen a simultaneous week-on-week increase in infections, and is the clearest indication yet that the virus is once again becoming more prevalent throughout the country.

In England, around one in 25 people are estimated to have had the virus in the same week, around 2.1 million people – up from one in 30, or 1.9 million people, in the week to February 26.

In Wales, meanwhile, the estimate is up from 94,200 people to 97,900, though the proportion is unchanged at one in 30.

Northern Ireland saw an increase from 106,300 people, or one in 17, to 143,800 people, or one in 13.

The figures are based on sampling of households by the Office of National Statistics which uses only PCR tests - not lateral flows.

This means that while one in 18 people in Scotland are estimated to be infected, not all of them will be currently infectious as PCR kits also pick up latent infections as well as residual virus.

The ONS survey uses a representative sample of swab tests collected regularly from tens of thousands of households, and is therefore able to estimate the percentage of people likely to test positive for Covid-19 at any one point in time, regardless of when they caught the virus, how many times they have had it and whether they have symptoms.

The survey is far more reflective of the level of Covid-19 in the UK than the number of cases announced each day by the Government, which includes only those people who have reported themselves as testing positive for the virus, and is being increasingly affected by how many people are coming forward for tests or who are taking a test because they know they have coronavirus symptoms.