The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Buckinghamshire increased by 106 over the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 3,051 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (October 14) in Buckinghamshire, up from 2,945 the same time on Tuesday.

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 Buckinghamshire now stands at 561 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 989.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 19,724 over the period, to 654,644.

This comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended the new three-tier system of regional Covid-19 restrictions in England, saying that the policy "is the right way forward".

​Buckinghamshire's cases were among the 53,456 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 1,166 over the period.

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