FEWER than 70 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Dorset in the last 24 hours.

The government’s daily update revealed that 68 people across the county tested positive for coronavirus in the run up to 4pm on Friday, March 12.

The BCP Council area recorded 28 new cases, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 24,896.

In the seven days preceding March 7, the latest rolling seven-day period, 127 cases were confirmed, giving a rolling infection rate of 32.1 cases per 100,000 people.

The Dorset Council area recorded 31 new cases, taking the total to 11,468. 

The rolling rate stood at 34.6 cases per 100,000 people with 131 cases confirmed in the past week.

Elsewhere, nine cases were confirmed in the New Forest, taking the total to 5,988.

The rolling rate stood at 26.1 cases per 100,000 people after 47 cases were confirmed in the week leading up to March 7.

A further 6,609 coronavirus cases have confirmed across the UK, bringing the total number since the start of the pandemic to 4,248,286.