Coronavirus latest: here’s how many new cases were recorded in Dacorum in the last 24 hours

Dacorum has recorded 24 new positive Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours of data released this afternoon (February 23).

The total for the borough is now 8,048 according to the latest figures from Public Health England.

The incidence rate over the last 7 days has decreased from 70.4 per 100,000 to 67.2 per 100,000 population(the period represented is the 7 days ending February 18).

On February 16, the incidence rate was 105.3 per 100,000 population (the 7 days ending February 11).

There have been 115 new cases in Hertfordshire, the total is now 73,555.

Here's a daily breakdown of the figures in Dacorum for the last seven days:

> February 16 - 14 cases

> February 17 - 17 cases

> February 18 - 11 cases

> February 19 - 13 cases

> February 20 - 11 cases

> February 21 - 22 cases

> February 22 - six cases.

According to Public Health England there were 125 confirmed COVID-19 patients in West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust - which manages hospitals in Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans - on Tuesday, February 16, and 15 were on mechanical ventilation beds.

There have been no new Covid-related deaths recorded in Dacorum, the total is still 308. There have been 11 deaths recorded in Hertfordshire, the total is 2,384 - according to Public Health England (deaths within 28 days of positive test).

Nationally, the number of coronavirus cases has risen by 8,489 and now stands at 4,134,639. The number of deaths has risen by 548 to 121,305.

As of February 22, in the UK, 17,916,181 people had received the first dose of the vaccination for COVID-19, and 642,788 had received their second dose.

Read: Here's how many people have now had Covid vaccines in Hertfordshire.

The figures for the number of patients recovered from Covid-19 have not been released by Public Health England.

The new figures were recorded between 5pm on Sunday, February 21, and 5pm on Monday, February 22.

The figures come from the Government website which is available for the public to view here.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a “roadmap” out of lockdown which aims to bring a return to more normal life, with hopes of an end to all restrictions by the end of June.

The four-step plan sets out dates for the easing of various restrictions at different times, affecting almost every aspect of daily life.

The Government has said that while the 'roadmap' sets out target dates for the move between steps, the progressive easing of restrictions, including those on driving lessons and tests, is dependent on certain conditions being met.

These four key factors including the vaccine deployment programme continuing successfully, evidence that it is sufficiently effective, infection rates remaining at a level that doesn’t put unsustainable pressure on the NHS, and the absence of any new "variants of concern".

For the latest Government guidance visit: www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home.

Read: These are the vaccination sites and services in Dacorum and Hertfordshire