HUNDREDS more people were told to self-isolate by Test and Trace across Dorset in the latest week, figures show.

Department for Health and Social Care data shows, in the BCP Council area, 2,370 people were told to self-isolate after being in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 in the week to July 14 – the latest available data.

This was up from 1,882 the week before, and means 4,252 people have been told to isolate in the latest 14 days alone.

Contact tracers ask new patients to give details for anyone they were in close contact with in the 48 hours before their symptoms started.

The figures show 2,694 people who came into close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole were transferred to Test and Trace in the week to July 14.

It means 324 contacts were not reached by the service.

In the Dorset Council area, 1,450 people were told to self-isolate, up from 1,160 the week before, and means 2,610 people have been told to isolate in the latest 14 days.

The figures revealed 172 contacts were not reached by the service.

Across England, more than 223,000 cases were transferred to the contact tracing system between July 8 and 14, with 475,500 people identified as coming into close contact with someone who had tested positive.

The number of close contacts identified is now the highest observed since the week ending January 20.