THE number of Delta variant cases of coronavirus in Dorset have more than doubled in a week and the county has the second-highest number of cases in the South West.

Public Health England’s weekly Covid-19 variant cases data show that numbers of the Delta (VOC-21APR-02) variant in the UK have risen by 35,204 since last week to a total of 111,157.

The Delta variant accounted for approximately 95 per cent of sequenced and 92 per cent genotyped cases from June 7 to 21.

The latest figures, up until Wednesday June 23, show that 732 cases of the Delta variant have been confirmed in Dorset so far.

BCP has reported 508 cases of the variant and there have been 224 in the Dorset Council area.

It means cases have more than doubled since last week when the total of Delta cases recorded in the county stood at 339.

PHE previously reported how BCP area had 254 Delta cases while Dorset Council area had 85 cases.

Here is the list of total Delta cases for areas in the south west up until June 23:

Bath and North East Somerset 159

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 508

Bristol, City of 754

Cheltenham 161

Cornwall 393

Cotswold 48

Dorset 224

East Devon 17

Exeter 77

Forest of Dean 45

Gloucester 236

Mendip 24

Mid Devon 19

North Devon 13

North Somerset 145

Plymouth 52

Sedgemoor 38

Somerset West and Taunton 30

South Gloucestershire 246

South Hams 14

South Somerset 34

Stroud 71

Swindon 134

Teignbridge 41

Tewkesbury 126

Torbay 21

Torridge 10

West Devon 8

Wiltshire 254

Public Health England now publishes the number of deaths among people who have tested positive for Delta within the past 28 days. The case fatality rate remains low for Delta.

However, deaths tend to happen some weeks after infections and the majority of cases were confirmed less than 28 days ago. It is therefore too early to judge the case fatality of Delta compared to Alpha or other variants.

Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency said:

"Cases are rising rapidly across the country and the Delta variant is now dominant. The increase is primarily in younger age groups, a large proportion of which were unvaccinated but are now being invited to receive the vaccine. It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate but we will continue to monitor it closely. The vaccination programme and the care that we are all taking to follow the guidance are continuing to save lives.

"Please make sure that you come forward to receive both doses of the vaccine as soon as you are eligible. Don’t drop your guard – practise ‘hands, face, space, fresh air’ at all times."