OXFORDSHIRE has recorded 90 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the official figures show. 

Public Health England figures show that 4,572 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am today in Oxfordshire, up from 4,482 the same time on Wednesday.

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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.

The rate of infection in Oxfordshire now stands at 661 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 854.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 17,540 over the period to 561,815.

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Oxfordshire's cases were among the 48,655 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 991 over the period.

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

The new figures come after it was announced by the county's public health team that the county had reached 'red alert' level for the first time.

This is triggered when the weekly rate of new cases is higher than 50 per 100,000 people.