THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in Cumbria increased by 45 in the latest 24-hour period, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 28,750 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday in Cumbria, up from 28,705 the same time on Tuesday.

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

Cases identified through a positive lateral flow test - those that can deliver results within half an hour - will no longer be counted if the person then takes a polymerase chain reaction (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 Cumbria now stands at 5,750 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 7,110.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 8,808 over the period, to 4,589,814.

Cumbria's cases were among the 651,970 recorded across the North West, a figure that rose by 2,157 over the period.

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