A FURTHER 41 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Essex.

The latest figures released by the Department for Health and Social Care show 2,418 residents in the county have now tested positive for coronavirus.

In the Essex County Council region, the overall total of confirmed cases stands at 1,929 – up from 1,892 yesterday.

In Thurrock, a further four cases have been confirmed, taking the total to 234, while in Southend there have been no new confirmed cases.

The total in the region now stands at 255.

Today’s figures show 19,316 coronavirus tests were carried out in England, Wales and Scotland in the past 24 hours- up to 9am on Monday.

Testing capacity stands at 39,250.

About 97,063 NHS and social care staff and their relatives had been tested in total.

The number of people in the UK tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began stands at 397,670, which is the equivalent of around 597 people in every 100,000, or 0.6 per cent of the population.

On average just under 13,600 new people were tested daily in the past seven days.

In the previous seven days, to April 14, the daily average was just under 12,800.