THE number of lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus has risen in the past 24 hours.

The total number of cases now stands at 929, an increase of two on Monday.

No new deaths were recorded at Northumbria Healthcare hospitals on Monday, with the death toll in the county remaining at 186.

However, NHS England has warned that the figures may change due to a technical issue.

A statement read: "The Covid Patient Notification System did not operate between 0455 and 1500 on Sunday 24 May due to connectivity issues experienced by an external supplier.

"The number of deaths reported today by NHS England and NHS Improvement may therefore reflect this situation.

"The system is now fully operational and the reports of any deaths which were not able to be entered yesterday will be uploaded and reconciled."

Nationally, there are now 261,184 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UK, an increase of 1,625 on Monday.

36,914 people have now died after contracting the virus in the UK, an increase of 121 on Monday.

The UK now has the third-highest death toll per capita in the world, with 555.19 deaths per million people.

The figure puts the UK above Italy, but below Belgium and Spain.

The Office for National Statistics has released its latest figures, which show 41,220 deaths registered in England and Wales involving the coronavirus up to the week ending May 15.