The number of coronavirus cases in West Oxfordshire increased by 265 over the weekend, official figures show.

A total of 14,303 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 in West Oxfordshire when the UK coronavirus daily dashboard was updated on December 13 (Monday), up from 14,038 on Friday.

The rate of infection in West Oxfordshire now stands at 12,798 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 16,309.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 154,303 over the period, to 10,873,468.

However, there were no new coronavirus deaths recorded over the weekend in West Oxfordshire.

The dashboard shows 133 people had died in the area by December 13 (Monday) – which was unchanged from Friday.

It means there have been three deaths in the past week, which is an increase on none the previous week.

They were among 18,928 deaths recorded across the South East.

The figures include anyone who died within 28 days of a positive test result for Covid-19, and whose usual residence was in West Oxfordshire.

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death, so some areas might see their figures revised down.

Figures reported on a Monday are likely to be lower as a result of a lag in reporting deaths over the weekend.

The figures also show that more than four in five people in West Oxfordshire have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The latest figures show 87,161 people had received both jabs by December 12 (Sunday) – 82 per cent of those aged 12 and over, based on the number of people on the National Immunisation Management Service database.

Across England, 81 per cent of people aged 12 and above had received a second dose of the jab.

Unlike at local level, the national rate was calculated using mid-2020 population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

Labour councillor Duncan Enright is today calling on the people of Witney and Oxfordshire to book their booster jabs as part of a major national effort to protect the country from the Omicron variant.

Duncan said: “The last thing we all wanted for Christmas was to be facing the virus again, but we need to take action and work together to beat it. I had my booster at the town shop in Witney a couple of weeks ago. It took a little while waiting, but was very easy and I even had a coffee from Greggs in the queue!

“The best thing for our health, our family and our community is to make sure we are all up to date with jabs. If you are due for your booster – please book it now. If you are still to have your jab, get it done today. The vaccine is safe, easy and has saved tens of thousands of lives in this country and millions around the world. What's more, more vaccinations today mean fewer restrictions more quickly in the future.

“Here in Witney we have looked out for each other during the pandemic. Now is the challenge of our lives. Please follow the guidance, please get jabbed, and please stay safe. Get in touch with the Council if you have any problems getting your jab.”

You can book your vaccine appointment here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/