A further 458 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Dorset over the last 24 hour period.

Official data shows that the number of recorded coronavirus cases in the Dorset Council area increased by 95 in the last 24 hours.

Public Health England figures show that, in this part of the county, 5,951 people have confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (January 7) since the start of the pandemic - up from 5,856 the same time on Wednesday.

Meanwhile the number of recorded coronavirus cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 363 in the last 24 hours.

Public Health England figures show that 12,890 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 during the same time period - up from 12,527 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 52,618 over the period, to 2,889,419.

The county's cases were among the 134,933 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 3,433 over the period.

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