NICOLA Sturgeon will hold a coronavirus briefing at 12.15pm today with national clinical director Jason Leitch.

Cases of coronavirus have been rising with the latest number of reported positive cases reaching a six-month high, with 1317 being confrmed in 24 hours. 

The spread of the Delta variant, which originated in India, is being blamed for the upsurge.

The First Minister will give an update on today's figures and overall trends as well as indicate whether any easing of restrictions will take place.

Earlier this week the First Minister told MSPs the Scottish Government is likely to postpone the planned move to Level 0 of coronavirus restrictions on June 28 for three weeks.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, she said caution is needed to provide extra time to push ahead with vaccinations.

She said: “Given the current situation – and the need to get more people fully vaccinated before we ease up further – it is reasonable to indicate now that I think it unlikely that any part of the country will move down a level from June 28.

“Instead, it is likely that we will opt to maintain restrictions for a further three weeks from June 28 and use that time to vaccinate – with both doses – as many more people as possible.

“Doing that will give us the best chance, later in July, of getting back on track and restoring the much greater normality that we all crave.”

She said the decision would be confirmed at Holyrood next week, following a planned review of the current levels.

Four new deaths were reported on Wednesday, meaning the death toll under this measure 7688.  A total of 140 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, with 12 in intensive care.

As of 8.30am on Wednesday, 3,571,726 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 2,516,066 have received their second dose.

Out of the 30,990 new tests which that reported results, 4.6% were positive, just slightly lower than the 5% the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes indicates a pandemic is coming under control.  

Vaccines currently in use in the UK are effective against this variant, with protection greatly increasing after the second dose. 

Separate figures from National Records of Scotland, which count the number where Covid-19 was mentioned on a death certificate, put the toll at 10,137 as of 13 June.