THE Covid rate of infection in one Somerset district has dipped below 20 people in 100,000 of population.

Somerset West and Taunton's rate of 18.1 people per 100,000 is based on the latest rolling seven-day figures released today (Thursday).

It has fallen from 21.3 in figures made public yesterday.

The other three districts have infections rates of between 40 and 50 people per 100,000.

In South Somerset, the rate is 49.3 (up from 43.8); it's 40.6 in Sedgemoor (down from 43.8).

And in Mendip it is 49.3 (up from 46.7).

In the latest 24-hour figures, there were 45 new confirmed cases in the county council area.

Of those, 26 were in South Somerset, three in SWT, eight in Sedgemoor and eight in Mendip.

The overall confirmed cases in each district since the start of the pandemic are now 5,114 in South Somerset; 5,817 in SWT; 5,099 in Sedgemoor; and 3,344 in Mendip.

The county has seen a total of 19,374 positive Covid tests since the start of the pandemic.

Thankfully there were no deaths in the figures released today - the total deaths since the start of the pandemic remain at 148 in South Somerset; 200 in swt; 152 in Sedgemoor; and 159 in Mendip.