The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Thurrock increased by 129 over the weekend, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 18,729 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Monday (July 12) in Thurrock, up from 18,600 the same time on Friday.

The health body recently changed the way it records the figures.

Cases identified through a positive lateral flow test – those which can deliver results within half an hour – will no longer be counted if the person then takes a PCR test, which is sent to a lab to be checked, and receives a negative result within three days.

These cases are now being removed daily.

The rate of infection in Thurrock now stands at 10,743 cases per 100,000 people, far higher than the England average of 7,960.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 97,150 over the period, to 5,155,243.

Thurrock's cases were among the 430,425 recorded across the East of England, a figure which rose by 6,694 over the period.

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