MORE than 20 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Oxford in the last 24 hours, according to the latest figures.

Public Health England data shows 21 positive tests in the city as of 9am, taking Oxford's total since the pandemic started to 1,208.

For Oxfordshire, the city cases were part of a further 36 infections reported today.

The total for the county is now 3,966.

Across the UK, another 7,143 cases were confirmed, with a further 71 deaths of people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.

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It was the highest daily rise in cases since the start of the pandemic, however, testing was far more limited at the peak of the outbreak.

Among deaths were 44 people who tested positive for coronavirus and died in England's hospitals.

It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths there to 29,962.

Patients were aged between 47 and 99 years old. All had known underlying health conditions.

The number of deaths involving Covid-19 registered in England and Wales has also risen for the second week in a row.

A total of 139 deaths registered in the week ending September 18 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is up from 99 deaths in the week to September 11, and 78 deaths in the week to September 4.

Globally, the coronavirus death toll has now passed one million, with more than 33 million confirmed cases.