THE total number of coronavirus cases so far recorded in Oxfordshire has now hit 4,070, latest figures show.

Public Health England figures now include 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 the county stands at 588 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 708.

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Oxfordshire’s cases were among the 43,823 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 272 on Friday.

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

A surge in coronavirus cases has pushed Oxford to ‘red alert’.

The rolling weekly rate of infection for the city is now 60.3 per 100,000 people for the seven days to September 29.

This is based on 92 new positive tests and means Oxford is now above the rate of 50 needed to trigger a red alert.

The week before the city had a rate of 32.1 from 49 cases.

It comes after Oxfordshire’s director of public health, Ansaf Azhar, warned the city was nearing the more serious alert level and the city was risking ‘tough’ lockdown restriction.

He also says it is only a matter of time before a high Covid case rate spreads from young people to older age groups.

As part of Oxfordshire’s winter plan, residents will be advised to stock up on essential medicines to cope with the ‘rising tide’ of coronavirus.