THE city appears to have passed a recent spike in coronavirus cases which had concerned public health officials.

As of August 3, the number of cases per 100,000 people in Oxford was 7.2 compared with 21.6 at the same time last week.

Data for the most recent days has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

It is based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

A surge in cases, the majority in East Oxford, had seen the city jump last week to the 15th highest in the UK and prompted Oxfordshire's Director of Public Health to urge people to maintain social distancing.

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Following the decrease in positive tests the city is now not in the top 50 worst impacted areas as measured by the weekly rolling rate.

Swindon, across the border in Wiltshire, meanwhile, has continued to report a surge in cases in recent days with 106 in the rolling rate to August 3. It puts the town sixth highest in the UK.

Oxfordshire recorded a further six positive tests for coronavirus today bringing the total in the county to 3,274.

Two of these were in Oxford, which now has 915 cases as of 9am on Friday and an infection rate of 600 compared to Oxfordshire's overall rate of 473.

The county's hospital Covid-19 death toll remains unchanged since June 30 when the last fatality at Oxford University Hospitals was registered bringing the total there to 181.

The UK overall official death toll stands at 46,511 as of 5pm on Thursday.