SCOTLAND has recorded almost 15,000 new cases of the coronavirus in 24 hours.

The latest figures show that 15 further deaths of Covid-19 patients were reported in the same time period. 

This brings the total under this measure - of people who died within 28 days of testing positive - to 9905.

There were 14,486 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the last 24 hours. This means that since the start of the pandemic a total of 1,025,063 positive cases have been recorded, with the grim milestone of one million being passed on January 6

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The cases recorded on January 7 represented 21.7% of the 78,300 new tests for the disease that reported results in the same time period. This test positivity rate is more than four times the 5% threshold the World Health Organisation says suggests the virus is under control. 

Elsewhere, the data shows that 1323 people are in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 - up from the 1267 reported yesterday. A total of 48 were in intensive care - up from 43.

In terms of the vaccination effort, 4,388,543 people have received their first dose, while a totla of 4,037,434 have also received their second dose. 

Exactly 3,063,000 have received a third dose or "booster" jag, the latest figures show.