A FURTHER 38 new coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in Dorset over the last 24 hour period, official figures show.

The figures include 24 new coronavirus cases in the Dorset Council area, and 14 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

In the Dorset Council area, Public Health England figures show that 11,160 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (February 25) - up from 11,136 the same time on Wednesday.

Meanwhile 24,546 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (February 25) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole - up from 24,532 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 9,985 over the period, to 4,154,562.

The county's cases were among the 209,714 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 432 over the period.

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