THERE has been a slight rise in coronavirus cases across Dorset, latest figures have revealed.

Data from Public Health England has shown in the seven days leading up to August 16 there were 16 new Covid-19 cases in the BCP Council area, a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people.

This is up from the week before, where there were 11 new cases, a rate of just 2.8 per 100,000.

The story is the same in the Dorset Council, where ten new cases were recorded in the week leading up to August 16, a rate of 2.6.

Compared to the week prior, this is an increase, as eight cases were confirmed in the seven days leading to August 9, a rate of 2.1.

The figures are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

Despite this, both the BCP and Dorset Council areas remain some of the lowest areas for new infections.

Northampton has seen the highest number of new cases, with 262 confirmed in the week leading up to August 16, a rate of 116.6, compared to 87 the week before and rate of 38.7.

The R rate for the south west currently stands at 0.8-1.0, meaning each infected person infects 0.8 to 1 other person.

The virus in the south rest is currently growing at a rate of minus five per cent to one per cent per day.