THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in Reading increased by 34 over the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 1,562 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (October 29).

In the last seven days, 192 people in Reading have tested positive.

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The weekly rate stands at 118.7 per 100,000 of the population.

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 Reading now stands at 966 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 1,420.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 23,065 over the period to 965,340.

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Reading's cases were among the 72,322 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 1,424 over the period.

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