MORE than 500 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hours, latest figures show.

Data released by the government shows 501 cases were confirmed across the county in the 24 hours leading up to 4pm on Wednesday.

In the BCP Council area, 391 cases were confirmed, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 15,941.

In the seven days leading up to January 8, the latest rolling seven-day period, 3,526 cases were confirmed, giving a rolling infection rate of 891.9 per 100,000 people.

The Dorset Council area recorded 110 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total top 7,006.

The rolling rate stood at 355.9 per 100,000, with 1,347 cases confirmed in the latest rolling seven-day period.

Yesterday, 570 cases were confirmed in Dorset.

Elsewhere, 116 cases were confirmed in the New Forest, meaning 4,094 people have tested positive there since the start of the pandemic.

The rolling rate was 440.9 per 100,000, with 794 cases recorded in seven days.

It comes as the government said a further 1,564 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 – the highest number of UK deaths reported on a single day since the outbreak began.