A FURTHER 21 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Dorset, latest figures show.

Of the new cases confirmed in the county during the latest 24 hour period, the vast majority fall within in the Dorset Council area.

Public Health England figures show that 16 of the 21 cases are in the Dorset Council area - bringing the total number of positive tests since the start of the pandemic to 11,650 by 9am on Wednesday (March 24).

The figure is up from 11,634 the same time on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the number of recorded coronavirus cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by five in the same time period.

Public Health England figures show that 25,059 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (March 24) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, up from 25,054 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 5,604 over the period, to 4,312,908.

The county's cases were among the 216,860 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 223 over the period.

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