The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Oxfordshire increased by 12 over the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 3,554 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Friday (September 4) in Oxfordshire, up from 3,542 the same time on Thursday.

The health body 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.

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The rate of infection in Oxfordshire now stands at 514 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 525.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 1,940 over the period, to 342,351.

​Oxfordshire's cases were among the 38,265 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 138 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.

On Thursday residents were told to 'stay on guard' by Oxfordshire's health chief, though the number of recorded cases in the county decreased.

Last week the city was put on an 'amber' alert which meant Oxford was close to being put on the government's watch list of places being put on local lockdown.

But a fall in the weekly number of coronavirus infections has meant the alert level has been reduced to yellow.