With people now banned from all but essential travel between Ayrshire’s three council areas, the latest statistics show where coronavirus is most prevalent.

Hotspots of COVID-19, where the number of positive cases is higher than 100 per 100,000 people, show it has spread across Ayrshire during the second wave.

Between November 16 and November 22, 38 deaths related to coronavirus were registered in Ayrshire, according to data released by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) last Wednesday, November 25.

Pete Whitehouse, NRS Director of Statistical Services, said: “The statistics that we publish every week represent grief and heartbreak for families and communities across Scotland who have lost loved ones due to this virus.

“Over the last week deaths decreased in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Lanarkshire, but increased in Ayrshire and Arran.”

By a different measure, there have been 91 deaths of people who tested positive for the virus before tragically passing away in Ayrshire last month, as of November 24. Of those deaths, 29 were of people in North Ayrshire.

Saltcoats and Irvine have the highest number of positive cases in the council area, for the week up to November 21.

Irvine has had as many as 50 coronavirus cases, but Public Health Scotland does not reveal the number of positive tests in a neighbourhood if it is less than five.

Kilwinning had a high prevalence of the virus in October, registering 19 cases leading up to October 2. The town now has between 14 and 20 positive tests. Tragically, a number of residents at Buckreddan Care Home in Kilwinning have died from suspected coronavirus.

Where Ardrossan was COVID-free at the beginning of October, the town has seen a rise in cases and now has the highest level of rate per population – 100, with 18 cases within one week.

Saltcoats North East has a prevalence per head of population almost five times higher than the maximum on Public Health Scotland’s scale - 496.9. There were between 34 and 37 positive cases in the town for the week up to November 21.

Last month, Saltcoats Group Practice had to close for a deep clean after confirmed cases.

Stevenston has between eight and 14 cases.

There were 11 cases in Beith, between two and eight in Dalry,and five in Dreghorn.