MORE than 2,400 Covid cases have been recorded in Essex in the past 24 hours according to official figures.

Public Health England figures show that 73,984 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (January 6) in the Essex County Council area, up from 71,528 yesterday (January 5).

This shows an increase of 2,456 cases excluding Southend and Thurrock.

The number of recorded coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours has increased by 390 in Thurrock and 307 in Southend.

The rate of infection in Essex now stands at 4,968 cases per 100,000 people, far higher than the England average of 4,354.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 62,322 over the period, to 2,836,801.

Essex's cases were among the 235,253 recorded across the East of England, a figure which rose by 7,408 over the period.

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.

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