OVER 500 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Dorset in the past 24 hours, latest data from the government has revealed.

In the 24 hours leading up to 4.50pm on Tuesday, January 12, 570 new cases were recorded in Dorset.

This has taken the county's total since the beginning of the pandemic to 22,446.

There are 437 new cases of coronavirus in the BCP area, taking the area's total to 15,550.

In the latest seven day period 3,348 cases were reported with an infection rate of 846.9 per 100,000 of the population.

In the past 24 hours, there have been 133 new cases of coronavirus in the wider Dorset area, with 1,228 recorded in the past week, giving a rate of 340.3.

Since the start of the pandemic, the area has had 6,896 Covid cases.

Further afield in the New Forest there have been 83 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its cumulative total to 3,978.

In the latest seven day period there have been 754 cases, giving a rate of 418.7.