But half of all care home residents in Scotland have now received their first Covid vaccination, the First Minister also revealed.
THE Covid infection rate across Highland Council has broken records again – after it rose to 212.9 cases per 100,000 people.
A FURTHER 83 Covid-19 cases were detected across the NHS Highland region in the past day.
SNOW and ice warnings have been issued for the whole of the Highlands – amid forecasts for wintry weather overnight and on into Friday.
A SPIKE in Covid numbers across Highland Council in recent weeks saw the region's infection rate soar to record levels over Christmas and New Year.
NO fewer than 450 positive tests for Covid-19 were recorded across the NHS Highland area over the long New Year weekend.
DASHCAM footage is being sought by police investigating a one-vehicle crash in Sutherland that left the driver in hospital.
A MAN has been killed in a road crash on the A9.
A 'SERIOUS' road crash has sparked the closure of the A9 in part of Ross-shire, police have warned.
A FURTHER 1905 Covid-19 cases have been detected across the whole of Scotland in the past 24 hours.
THE A9 has reopened following an earlier crash, Traffic Scotland has confirmed.
EMERGENCY crews are in attendance after a road crash closed the A9 in both directions in Sutherland.
THE Covid-19 infection rate across Highland Council has risen to its highest confirmed level of the entire pandemic.
EIGHTY-one new Covid-19 cases have been recorded across the NHS Highland area – meaning that almost 750 positive tests were recorded in December.
SIXTY-seven fresh coronavirus infections were recorded across the NHS Highland area in the past day, the Scottish Government has revealed.
A SNOW and ice warning for the Highlands has been extended well into Hogmanay.
POSITIVE Covid cases tripled in NHS Highland "in only a few days", the health board has warned as it urged the public to stick to virus restrictions.
MORE than 2000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 across NHS Highland since the start of the pandemic – after 152 new cases over Christmas.
TWO new weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued for parts of the Highlands over the next 50 hours.
NEWLY-discovered photos documenting the construction of a world famous Highland railway line are set to star in a TV documentary later this week.