A FURTHER 729 people in the North East and North Yorkshire have tested positive for Covid-19.

The Government said that as of 9am on Wednesday, September 23, there were a further 6,178 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. Overall, 409,729 cases have been confirmed nationally.

It also said a further 37 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the total to 41,862.

There has been one further death at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust; one at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and three at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

Here is a breakdown of cases across the North-East and North Yorkshire:

County Durham: 4,316 was 4,234; Darlington: 717 was 704; Gateshead: 1,961 was 1,889; Hartlepool: 844 was 828; Middlesbrough: 1,335 was 1,307; Newcastle: 2,678 was 2,539; North Tyneside: 1,403 was 1,352; North Yorkshire: 3,379 was 3,331; Northumberland: 2,186 was 2,102; Redcar and Cleveland: 886 was 871; South Tyneside: 1,615 was 1,563; Stockton: 1,262 was 1,243; Sunderland: 2,757 was 2,661; York: 1,161 was 1,147.

Total: 26,500 was 25,771 – increase of 729.