The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Thurrock increased by 129 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 18,998 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (July 15) in Thurrock, up from 18,869 the same time on Wednesday.

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 10,897 cases per 100,000 people, far higher than the England average of 8,162.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 47,891 over the period, to 5,281,098.

Thurrock's cases were among the 440,361 recorded across the East of England, a figure which rose by 3,921 over the period.

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