NEARLY 700 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Dorset in the past 24 hours as the daily toll for the UK passes 60,000.

Data released by the government states that 60,916 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK in the 24 hours leading up to 4.22pm on Tuesday, January 5.

In the same time period, 683 new cases have been confirmed from across Dorset.

In the BCP Council area, 465 cases were confirmed, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 11,981.

In the seven days leading up to January 1, the latest rolling seven-day period, 1,986 cases were confirmed in BCP, giving a rolling infection rate of 502.4 per 100,000 people.

The Dorset Council area recorded 218 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total 5,647.

The rolling rate stood at 263.1 with 996 cases confirmed in the last rolling seven-day period.

Elsewhere, 154 cases were confirmed in the New Forest, taking the total to 3,269.

The rolling rate in the New Forest was 303.7, with 547 cases confirmed in the seven days leading up to January 1.