One Ayrshire local authority area has picked up the unwelcome accolade of Scotland's COVID-19 hotspot right now.

Data from Public Health Scotland shows that East Ayrshire has the highest rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 of the population in the entire country over the last seven days.

With 193.4 cases per 100,000 East Ayrshire has more than any other local authority area, the closest being Renfrewshire on 188.2 and Dundee City on 184.8.

In comparison, the other Ayrshire council areas are not as badly affected, cases in North Ayrshire remain high with 154.4 per 100,000, but South Ayrshire numbers are the lowest and almost half of the East Ayrshire total at 101.2 per 100,000. 

East Ayrshire has the one of the highest positivity rates as well, with with 9.7 per cent of those tested receiving a positive result for COVID-19.

There were 236 coronavirus cases recorded in the area in the last seven days for which Public Health Scotland keeps records (December 20-26).

In North Ayrshire there were 208 cases recorded across the festive period and in South Ayrshire 114.

Although East Ayrshire has the highest case rate per 100,000 in the country, that is not to say that it is the region with the most amount of cases, Glasgow City for example, had 1076 cases from December 20-26 or 170 per 100,000.

It is, however, an indicator that the virus is spreading faster in the region than in any other.

Measures were put into place by the Scottish Government so that from Boxing Day most of the country was put back into Level 4 style restrictions.