OXFORDSHIRE has recorded four new coronavirus cases as the county's infection rate continues to fall.

The county now has a rate of 471 per 100,000 people, down from 474 previously and broadly in line with the national average.

As of 9am today, 306,293 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK.

This was an increase of 670 on the day before.

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Public Health England is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

Oxfordshire has continued to not record any new coronavirus hospital deaths.

The most recent was registered at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on June 30, now more than a month ago.

The current death toll at the trust, which runs the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Banbury's Horton General Hospital, is 181.

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Weekly coronavirus deaths were also revealed today to have fallen by more than a quarter within seven days and remained at the lowest level since before lockdown.

The Office for National Statistics data showed England and Wales was experiencing fewer deaths than would normally be expected for the sixth week in a row.

There were 217 deaths registered in the week ending July 24 involving Covid-19 – accounting for 2.4 per cent of all deaths.

This is a 26.4 per cent fall from the previous week, when there were 295 deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.