MORE than 120 people tested positive for Covid-19 across Dorset over the weekend.

A total of 125 new cases were confirmed across the county in 48-hours.

According to the latest data published on the government website, 85 positive results were recorded in the BCP Council area up to 4pm on Sunday, October 11.

It means that the number of people who have now tested positive for Covid-19 in the local authority since the start of the pandemic is 1,769. The rate per 100,000 people is 447.5.

In the Dorset Council area, 40 new cases have been reported with an overall total of 993 and a rate of 262.3.

Elsewhere, the New Forest had 17 new cases bringing the total number of cases to 712 with a rate of 395.4.

Yesterday, NHS officials said a further 32 people who tested positive for the coronavirus had died in hospitals.

The total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England is now 30,471.

Patients were aged between 54 and 100 years old and all but one had known underlying health conditions.

None of the deaths occurred in Dorset’s hospitals.

The Government said that, as of 9am on Sunday, there had been a further 12,872 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 603,716.