A TOTAL of 495 new coronavirus cases have been recorded across Dorset

The number cases in the Dorset Council area increased by 139 and in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole (BCP) Council area by 356 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 8,442 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am in the Dorset Council area, up from 8,303 the same time on Wednesday.

A total of 19,512 people tested positive in the BCP area, up from 19,156 the same time on Wednesday.

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.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 37,892 over the period, to 3,543,646.

Dorset’s cases were among the 173,956 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 2,394 over the period.

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