The number of covid patients in Scotland’s hospitals has reached a record high for a second consecutive day.
Latest figures show 2,221 in need of hospital care due to coronavirus.
The figure is an increase of 93 from the 2,128 reported on Monday, with 37 new deaths also being reported.
That takes the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus to 11,163
Of those in hospital, Tuesday’s figures showed 29 were in intensive care – down two from the previous day.
Meanwhile there were a further 11,912 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Scotland.
The figures came as Highland Council reported several schools were closed because of the virus.
Three primary schools - Cannich Bridge Primary in Beauly, Rosebank Primary School in Nairn and Rosehall Primary in Lairg - were all closed on Tuesday – with the associated nursery schools at Cannich Bridge Primary and Rosebank Primary also closed.
Meanwhile, Kingussie High School in Kingussie was only open to pupils in S4 to S6 – with the reason for all these closures given as “Covid-19 related”.
Liberal Democrat education spokesman Willie Rennie said as infection levels had increased it was “little surprise that school absences have shot up too”.
And he added that the Scottish Government “may now be regretting that it rejected my proposals for air filters in schools to help slow down that spread”.
Rennie warned: “Further absences from school on top of the last two years’ worth will compound the existing inequalities in the education system.
“The SNP Government have not fully grasped the ramifications of all this lost learning and their recovery planning is wholly inadequate as it just repeats what they were already planning to do.
“The inadequate exams advice recently issued from the Scottish Qualifications Authority will not make up for all the lost learning. I suspect we are moving towards another year of exam chaos.”
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