A TOTAL of 27 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Brighton and Hove in the last 24-hour reporting period.

Public Health England figures show that 4,138 people in the city had been confirmed as testing positive by 9am on Thursday, up from 4,111 the same time on Wednesday.

The rate of infection in the area now stands at 1,423 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 2,556.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 14,878 over the period to 1,674,134.

It comes as the first Covid-19 death in four days was recorded in Brighton yesterday.

In West Sussex, the number of recorded Coronavirus cases increased by 79.

That means 9,317 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday. This is a rise of 9,238 at the same time on Wednesday.

The rate of infection in West Sussex now stands at 1,078 cases per 100,000 people.

In East Sussex, 93 more people tested positive for the virus.

Public Health England figures show that 5,630 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday, an increase from 5,537 the same time on Wednesday.

The rate of infection in the area now stands at 1,010 cases per 100,000 people.

East Sussex’s cases were among the 140,752 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 1,932 over the period.