A FURTHER 86 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hour period, latest figures show.

It is an increase from yesterday's figure, when just 38 were diagnosed in the county.

Public Health England figures show that 48 new cases were confirmed in the Dorset Council area over the last 24 hour period.

It means a total of 11,208 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Friday (February 26) in this part of the county - up by 48 from 11,160 the same time on Thursday.

Meanwhile the number of recorded coronavirus cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) area increased by 38 in the same time period.

It means that, unusually, the number of new cases in the Dorset Council area has been higher than BCP's for two days running.

Public Health England figures show that 24,584 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Friday (February 26) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, up from 24,546 the same time on Thursday.

The health body 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 rate of infection in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole now stands at 6,219 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 6,479.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 8,523 over the period, to 4,163,085.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's cases were among the 210,155 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 441 over the period.

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