Coronavirus cases start to decrease and are blow the South West average across Dorset.

Public Health Dorset reports that there are 1,089 confirmed cases in the last seven days in the Dorset Council area, compared to 1,376 on August 27, and 1,231 in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area, compared to 1,612 on August 27.

The seven-day case rate per 100,000 of the population in the Dorset Council area is 286.7, compared to 362.3 on August 27, and 310.1 in the BCP Council area, compared to 406.1 on August 27.

There are currently 48 people with Covid-19 in hospital bed sin Dorset, compared to 44 on August 27.

A spokesman for Public Health Dorset said: "Hospitalisations related to Covid-19 have remained at around 40-50 since the beginning of August, with 48 people currently in hospital with Covid-19.

We have started to see a number of Covid-related deaths each week due to Covid-19, but these are at much lower levels than during previous waves. This shows that the vaccine is having an impact on protecting people from serious illness and death.

We continue to urge anyone who hasn't yet had their first or second dose of the Covid vaccine to book an appointment or attend a walk-in clinic. It's also important to keep testing regularly with rapid lateral flow tests to check that you're not infectious and putting other people at risk."

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