A SURGE in coronavirus cases has pushed Oxford to 'red alert' in the latest figures.

The rolling weekly rate of infection for the city is now 60.3 per 100,000 people for the seven days to September 29.

This is based on 92 new positive tests and means Oxford is now above the rate of 50 needed to trigger a red alert.

The week before the city had a rate of 32.1 from 49 cases.

For comparison, the highest in England is currently Burley which has a rate of 340.8.

It comes after Oxfordshire's director of public health warned this week the city was nearing the more serious alert level and the city was risking 'tough' lockdown restrictions if the rise was not slowed.

According to Public Health England, as of 9am, these are the number of new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours;

  • Oxford - 15
  • Oxfordshire - 32
  • UK - 6,968

The total coronavirus cases since the pandemic started;

  • Oxford - 1,257
  • Oxfordshire - 4,070
  • UK - 467,146

These figures are cumulative and include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.

A further 66 people were also announced to have died within 28 days of a had a positive test results.

It takes the confirmed UK death toll to 42,268.

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It comes as scientists advising the Government said the R value – the number of people an infected person will pass coronavirus on to – is between 1.3 and 1.6.

Anything above one means the infection is growing.

Last week, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimated R was between 1.2 and 1.5.