More than 500 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours in Berkshire.

Public Health England has recorded 507 lab-confirmed cases in areas including Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, West Berkshire, Slough and Windsor and Maidenhead.

These figures, correct as of Thursday, January 28, at 4pm, bring the county's lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 tests total to 48,122, according to Public Health England.

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The local breakdown for the past 24 hours as follows:

  • Reading - 130 cases, 9,402 total
  • West Berkshire - 43 cases, 5,282 total
  • Bracknell - 59 cases, 6,087 total
  • Wokingham - 61 cases, 7,132 total
  • Slough - 164 cases, 12,923 total
  • Windsor and Maidenhead - 50 cases, 7,296 total

There have now been 3,743,734 people across the UK who have tested positive for Covid-19 - a daily increase of 28,680 positive cases.

Stock vaccine image

 

The latest seven-day rate per 100,000 people locally are as follows:

  • Reading - 540.2 (Compared to 712.1 on Jan 19)
  • West Berkshire - 266.3 (Compared to 320.6 on Jan 19)
  • Bracknell - 332.9 (Compared to 439.8 on Jan 19)
  • Wokingham - 256 (Compared to 379.3 on Jan 19)
  • Slough - 722.2 (Compared to 1,044.5 on Jan 19)
  • Windsor and Maidenhead - 301.1 (Compared to 446.4 on Jan 19)

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In today's national coronavirus news:

Boris Johnson has said he is not concerned by Germany ruling that the AstraZeneca vaccine should only be recommended for under 65s, as he argued the evidence shows it "provides a good immune response across all age groups".

The Prime Minister joined Public Health England (PHE) in defending the use of the jab after a draft recommendation from Germany's vaccination advisory committee on Thursday said there was insufficient data to recommend it for those aged 65 and over.

Dr Mary Ramsay, the head of immunisations at PHE, acknowledged there had been "too few cases" of coronavirus in older people in Phase 3 clinical trials to determine the level of efficacy in this age group, but said other data on immune response had been "reassuring".

Mr Johnson, during a visit to Scotland, said he does not agree with the German ruling, as he backed the advice from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

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Asked if he is concerned about the verdict in Germany, the Prime Minister told reporters: "No, because I think the MHRA, our own authorities have made it very clear that they think the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is very good and efficacious, gives a high degree of protection after just one dose and even more after two doses.

"And the evidence they've supplied is they think it's effective across all age groups and provides a good immune response across all age groups."

He added: "I don't agree with that."

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to approve the vaccine for use in the EU on Friday, although it is not yet clear whether it will set an age limit.

But the German authorities said: "There currently is not sufficient data to assess the vaccination effectiveness from 65 years."