The latest data from Public Health Scotland shows that East Renfrewshire has Scotland's fourth-highest rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 of the population.

For the seven days up to and including December 27 there were 196 cases that tested positive for the virus recorded across the local authority.

This was an increase of 48.5% on the previous week-long period (December 14 to December 20) when the number of positive tested cases was 132.

It meant the rate of positive cases per 100,000 of population, a key indicator used by the government for deciding on lockdown restrictions increased from 138.2 to 205.2.

Out of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, only Dundee City (217), neighbouring Renfrewshire (214.4) and Inverclyde (212.1) had a higher rate in the week up to and including December 27.

The statistics show that the figure for Scotland as a whole for this period was 150.1 per 100,000 of population.

The test positivity rate, another measure, which calculates the percentage of people positive from the number of tests carried out, increased from 6.7% of all tests in East Renfrewshire to 9%.

The local authority along with the whole of mainland Scotland entered level 4 lockdown on Boxing Day in a bid to prevent the new variant of Covid-19 from spreading throughout the country.

Within East Renfrewshire, no areas had a seven-day rate per 100,000 greater than 400.

Nine neighbourhoods, meanwhile, had a rate of 200 to 399 cases per 100,000 of population, shown as the second darkest shade of purple possible on the map.

These areas were Arthurlie and Gateside; Auchenback; Busby; Cross Stobbs; Crookfur and Fruin; Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall; Neilston and Uplawmoor; North Kirkhill; and Whitecraigs and Broom.

At the other end of the spectrum, Lower Whitecraigs and South Giffnock was the only neighbourhood where the number of cases was either zero, one or two.

Areas like this are shown as white on the map indicating that the virus is considered to be suppressed during the period in question.

Clarkston and Sheddens; Eaglesham and Waterfoot; Mearns Village, Westacres and Greenfarm; Mearnskirk and South Kirkhill; Merrylee and Braidbar; North Giffnock and North Thornliebank; South Thornliebank and Woodfarm; and Stamperland had a rate between 100 to 199 per 100,000 of the population.

Netherlee and Williamwood had a rate of 50 to 99 per 100,000 of the population.