THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in Brighton and Hove increased by three over the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 820 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Friday in Brighton and Hove, up from 817 the same time on Thursday.

The health body is now including 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 Brighton and Hove now stands at 282 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 474.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 871 over the period, to 309,005.

​Brighton and Hove’s cases were among the 35,781 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 58 over the period.

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

But there were no further deaths or coronavirus patients recorded by Sussex Hospital trusts over the weekend.

This meant the total number of recorded deaths at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (148) East Sussex NHS Trust(100) Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (113) Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (260) and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (18) all remained the same. There have been 639 deaths of Covid patients in the county.