MORE than 850 new Covid cases have been confirmed in Dorset in the past day, latest figures show.

A total of 851 new infections have been recorded across the BCP and Dorset council areas in the 24-hours up to 4pm on Saturday, December 18.

Of these, 510 were across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and 341 were in the wider Dorset Council area.

This means since the start of the pandemic, 69,248 cases have been reported in the BCP Council area with 48,554 in Dorset.

In the past seven days, 2,565 positive results have been returned in the BCP Council area giving a rate of 646.1 per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, 2,076 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the Dorset Council in the past week at a rate of 546.6.

Yesterday, a total of 865 infections were reported in Dorset.

In the New Forest, 174 cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours with 1,077 cases in the past seven days at a rate of 599.5.

The total number of positive results in the district since the start of pandemic stands at 22,718.

The government said a further 90,418 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the UK as of 9am on Saturday, a fall of 2, 627 from the record high set on Friday.

The government said a further 125 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.

A total of 51,425,763 first doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been delivered in the UK by December 17, Government figures show. This is a rise of 32,099 on the previous day.

Some 46,965,009 second doses have been delivered, an increase of 41,221.

A combined total of 27,156,276 booster and third doses have also been given, a day-on-day rise of 817,625.