MORE than 50 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hours, according to latest figures.

Data released by the Government shows 54 people tested positive in the county in the 24 hours leading up to 4pm on Saturday, December 5.

In the Dorset Council area, 22 people have tested positive. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 3,314 cases.

The rolling infection rate stood at 39.6 per 100,000 people as 150 cases were recorded in the week before November 30.

32 tested positive in the BCP Council area, taking the area's total since the start of the pandemic to 7,385.

In the seven days leading up to Nov 30, 325 cases were recorded in BCP, giving a rolling infection rate of 82.2 per 100,000 of the population.

The latest figures are a decrease of 17 on the cases reported on Friday, December 4, after 71 cases were recorded in Dorset.

The news comes as Dorset County Hospital (DCH) has been confirmed as one of the 53 NHS sites chosen by the government to receive the Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the rollout begins next week - making the UK the first western country to approve a vaccine.

Leading hospitals will be designated as vaccine hubs to start immunising frontline NHS staff and patients.

Hub hospitals will be responsible for vaccinating their own staff and ensuring neighbouring hospitals can get the jab to their own staff.