THE number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in Dorset has risen by 56 in the past 24 hours.

Latest data on the government website shows 25 new cases in the Dorset Council area were recorded up to 4pm on Friday, October 16.

This means that since the start of the pandemic, 1,177 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the Dorset Council area.

In the BCP Council area, 31 new cases have been confirmed bringing the total number of people who have tested positive during the pandemic to 2,155.

Meanwhile, in the New Forest, a further 12 cases have been confirmed bringing the total to 791 cases overall.

The latest weekly rolling rate of infections for the BCP Council area, for the seven days up to October 11, is 113.3 per 100,000.

Data released by NHS England on Friday afternoon showed another 82 patients have died with Covid-19 in hospitals in England.

The total number of confirmed reported deaths has risen to 30,825.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 35 and 97-years-old and all except eight, aged between 49 and 94,had known underlying health conditions.

None of the deaths occurred in hospitals in the south west.