A FURTHER 31 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Dorset, official figures show.

The number of recorded coronavirus cases in the Dorset Council area has increased by 19 in the last 24 hour period, while the number in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has increased by 12.

Public Health England figures show that 11,535 people in the Dorset Council area had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (March 17) in Dorset, up from 11,516 the same time on Tuesday.

Meanehile, 24,977 people had been confirmed as testing positive in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in the same time period, up from 24,965 the same time on Tuesday.

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 5,758 over the period, to 4,274,579.

Dorset's cases were among the 215,233 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 251 over the period.

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