The number of recorded coronavirus cases across Dorset increased by 447 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

It is an increase from yesterday's rise, which saw 315 new cases recorded.

In the Dorset Council area Public Health England figures show that 115 more cases have been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (December 31) in Dorset.

This means 4,689 people have tested positive since the pandemic struck in March - up from 4,574 the same time on Wednesday.

The rate of infection in Dorset now stands at 1,239 cases per 100,000 people, which remains far lower than the England average of 3,802.

Dorset Council area has been placed into Tier 3 following a Government review on Wednesday.

Meanwhile in the number of recorded coronavirus cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 332 in the same time period.

Public Health England figures show that 10,027 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (December 31) in BCP council area, up from 9,695 the same time on Wednesday.

The rate of infection in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole now stands at 2,536 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 3,802.

BCP has been placed into Tier 4 - the divide between tiers three and four in Dorset is the first time the county has been split between tiers since the system was introduced.

Public Health England is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

The county's cases were among the 114,455 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 2,686 over the period. Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 55,892 over the period, to 2,488,780.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.