MORE than 350 new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Dorset in the last 24 hours.

Across the county, 356 people returned positive test results in the 24-hours preceding 4pm on Saturday, January 30.

In the Dorset Council area, there were 123 new cases, bringing the total number of cases recorded across the authority area to 9,643.

There have been 936 cases recorded in the Dorset Council area in the seven days leading up to January 30, giving an infection rate per 100,000 people of 247.3.

In the BCP Council area, there have been 230 new cases, bringing the area's total past 22,000 since the start of the pandemic to 22,001.

In the week preceding January 30, the BCP area saw 2,087 cases with an infection rate of 527.9.