The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Buckinghamshire increased by 91 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 29,951 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday (February 25) in Buckinghamshire, up from 29,860 the same time on Wednesday.

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.

READ MORE: Live updates as surge testing for new variant starts in Bucks

The rate of infection in Buckinghamshire now stands at 5,506 cases per 100,000 people, lower than the England average of 6,466.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 9,985 over the period, to 4,154,562.

Buckinghamshire's cases were among the 517,011 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 994 over the period.

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

Today, surge testing has begun across Wooburn Green and Flackwell Heath after the South African variant of Covid-19 was detected in Wooburn Green.

The South African variant is thought to be as transmissible as the variant that was first identified in Kent but there is no evidence as of yet that it causes more severe disease.

Home tests are being delivered by volunteers to all households in the village and parts of Flackwell Heath and a mobile unit has been deployed in the area.

READ MORE: Bucks surge testing for South African variant starts today

Data has also revealed today that over 90 per cent of those aged of 65 in Buckinghamshire have received their first Covid-19 jab.

NHS data shows 142,583 people in the Buckinghamshire clinical commissioning group area had received their first jab by February 21.

Of those, 95,365 were aged 65 or over.

READ MORE: Coronavirus in Bucks: Over 90% of over 65s receive first jab