WEEKEND UPDATE: Bedfordshire records massive jump in positive cases

Almost 300 new cases recorded over the weekend and more deaths
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Over the weekend, Bedfordshire has recorded 298 new cases of coronavirus, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.

Out of the 298, Bedford has recorded 56 new cases, with a total of 2,599 people now diagnosed with the deadly virus.

In Central Bedfordshire, there were 84 new cases of Covid, with a total of 2,726, while Luton has 158, with a new total of 3,950.

Almost 300 new cases were recorded over the weekendAlmost 300 new cases were recorded over the weekend
Almost 300 new cases were recorded over the weekend

The number of deaths were revised down by one in Bedford (177), there was two deaths in Luton (198), and two deaths in Central Bedfordshire (239).

Nationally, the death toll has been 'recalculated' by officials. The new count is based on a new definition of who has died from Covid-19.

Previously, people in England who died at any stage following a positive test, regardless of the cause of their death, were counted in the figures.

Meanwhile, Buckinghamshire now has 5,404 cases, Hertfordshire has 12,766 and Milton Keynes has 2,470 cases.

Previous data shared by Public Health England relied solely on Pillar 1 (testing from Public Health England and NHS Hospital Trusts), but as of Thursday, July 2, the information includes Pillar 2 (non-clinical and commercial testing).

It has seen a radical overhaul of how coronavirus infection data is presented across the country, with hundreds of new cases emerging in individual authorities.

The new figures are recorded between 5pm the previous day to 5pm.

Nationally, the number of coronavirus cases has risen by 20,572 and now stands at 1,192,013. The number of deaths has risen by 156 to 49,044.

The figures come from the Government website which is available for the public to view here