Coronavirus latest: 305 new cases confirmed in Central Bedfordshire today

The total number of cases in the district now stands at 7,445 (+305).

The case rate in Central Beds is now 517.2 per 100,000.

Elsewhere in the county, Luton has 9,480 (+277) cases while Bedford's figure is at 5,913 (+250).

There have been 2,382,865 lab-confirmed cases across the UK, up by a daily rise of 53,135.

71,567 deaths have been recorded within 28 days of a positive test, up by 414 today.

Central Beds officially entered Tier 4 restrictions on Sunday, December 20, with its status to be reviewed tomorrow (Wednesday).

Under Tier 4, rules are as follows:

> Non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas, hairdressers and bowling alleys will be forced to close for two weeks;

> People will be restricted to meeting one other person from another household in an outdoor public space;

> Under the new “stay at home” order, people in Tier 4 will be told they should not stay away from home overnight;

> People should not to travel into a tier four area, though support bubbles will remain unaffected as do the exemptions for separated parents and their children.