A further 33 positive coronavirus cases in Ayrshire and Arran have been confirmed.

The total in the region is now 536.

Patients being treated in hospitals in NHS Ayrshire and Arran has gone up by 9 to 119, and the number in ICU has dropped by 2, to 11.

The First Minister said today that the lockdown restrictions have resulted in a slowing down in the rate of community transmission of the virus.

She said: "We have a long way to go, but we are beginning to see signs that the lockdown is working. The first signs of hope are already there."

At a COBRA meeting yesterday, the UK Government and representatives of the devolved parliaments agreed to extend the current lockdown rules for at least another three weeks.

Intermin Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said that the lockdown has reduced the virus' rate of reproduction by two thirds.

But he cautioned against reading too much into the reduced numbers of patients in ICU.

He said: "This is a nasty little virus and it spreads and preys on those who are especially vulnerable in our society."

Across Scotland, 7,409 patients have been confirmed with coronavirus, that's an increase of 307 since yesterday. 1,799 are being treated in hospital, the same number as yesterday, and 189 are in ICU, a drop of 7.