Scots Covid death toll passes grim 10,000 milestone as 9,910 new cases reported

A further 9,910 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland – as the nation's death toll from the virus passes a grim new milestone.

Latest figures published by the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland show a further 41 people have died from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.That means Scotland's death toll since the start of the pandemic now stands at 10,038.However, 12,543 deaths had been registered up to Sunday, January 9 where the disease was mentioned on the death certificate.There are currently 1,544 patients with Covid in Scottish hospitals which is down 16 from yesterday.

It's the first registered fall in this metric since Christmas Eve.A total of 50 people with the disease are being treated in ICUs.

Meanwhile, there are 137 patients with Covid in Ayrshire hospitals – down one from yesterday – while fewer than five people are being treated with the illness in the region's intensive care units.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.In terms of Public Health Scotland's rolling seven-day infection rate per 100,000 population, South Lanarkshire has the highest rate in the country – at 1,260.5 as of Thursday, January 13.West Dunbartonshire has the second-highest infection rate at 1,247.6 while Inverclyde is third with 1,226.3 In terms of Ayrshire's thee local authorities, North Ayrshire has the highest rate of 1,126.3; East Ayrshire's rate stands at