THE city's MPs have reacted to a 'alarming' rise in Covid cases at Oxford University as confusion remains over the true total number of cases in Oxford.

Oxford University on Monday reported 208 new positive tests from its own testing service in a week.

It came after Oxfordshire's Director of Public Health called last week for the county to go into Tier 2 restrictions and as Public Health England admitted it was aware its total weekly figure for the city was lower than Oxford University's cases alone.

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds said: “Increasing case numbers are always worrying. I know that everyone is working hard locally to stop the spread.

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"However, I raised concerns about the way local statistics were calculated earlier this month and it is concerning that discrepancies appear to remain."

On a move to tighter restrictions she added it was 'important that we listen to our local Public Health leads'.

Oxford West MP Layla Moran said: "We’re at a pivotal moment in this crisis. It’s not just among students in the city that we’re seeing an alarming rise in cases, as our Director of Public Health made crystal clear last week – community transmission elsewhere in the county, including among the elderly, is rising too."

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “Both of Oxford’s universities are keeping us informed of cases among their students and both have robust plans in place to contain the virus.”