The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Essex increased by 21 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 113,577 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Friday (May 14) in Essex, up from 113,556 the same time on Thursday.

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.

The rate of infection in Essex now stands at 7,627 cases per 100,000 people, higher than the England average of 6,901.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 2,193 over the period, to 4,446,824.

Essex's cases were among the 391,302 recorded across the East of England, a figure which rose by 182 over the period.

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