SCOTLAND has set another new record high number of coronavirus cases as the third wave continues to sweep across the country.

In the past 24 hours, 3887 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported. This is the third day running in which the number of cases have exceeded 3000, a number not reached until June 28.

Today's figures exceed that record high of two days ago, when 3285 new cases were recorded. On June 29, there were 3118 new cases.

The latest Scottish Government figures also show that 41,710 new tests for Covid-19 reported results in the past 24 hours. Of these, 9.8% of these were positive.

The seven-day test positivity rate is now at 9.4% - the rate Scotland has seen since January 16.

This positivity rate is significantly above the World Health Organisation's 5% threshold that indicates the pandemic is "under control".

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon reacts as Scotland hits highest ever 24-hour Covid case rate

Elsewhere, the figures show that three coronavirus patients have died in Scotland in the past day.

These latest deaths bring the total number under this measure - of those who died within 28 days of first testing positive - to 7716.

Across Scotland, there were 235 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed Covid-19. This is the highest number since March 31, when Scotland had 237 people in hospital.

Of the people in hospital yesterday, 19 people were in intensive care.

In terms of the vaccine roll-out, 3,799,467 people have received the first dose of the Covid jag. A total of 2,712,237 people in Scotland have also received their second dose.

Elsewhere, Public Health Scotland data shows that Dundee City is the nation's Covid "hotspot". The local authority area has a seven-day case rate per 100,000 people of 764.1.

Midlothian and East Lothian, the second and third worst-hit areas respectively, have rates of 658.7 and 653.7.

Scotland's third wave has put all but four areas of the country on seven-day case rates of above 150 per 100,000 of the population. These four are Moray, Orkney, Shetland, and Na h-Eileanan Siar.