Bristol now has 519 confirmed cases of coronavirus following a spike of 22 positive tests.
This was one of the biggest increases the city has witnessed to date. But it's likely our city's real figure is in the thousands because the government has only been testing the most severe patients at the moment.
South Gloucestershire also experienced an increase of 16, bringing the district's total to 304, according to figures released today (Thursday, April 23).
In Bath and North East Somerset, a further five positive Covid-19 tests returned, bringing the total to 187.
North Somerset now has 183 cases after a rise of eight.
The figures come on the same day Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a dramatic expansion of the criteria for who can be tested for coronavirus.
By the end of the month, the government hopes to be testing 100,000 a day.
At the daily Downing Street briefing he said capacity for carrying out tests was now “ahead of our plans”, with the ability to carry out more than 50,000 tests a day.
“Because capacity has now increased so substantially we are now able to expand who can get the tests.
“Our ultimate goal is that everyone who could benefit from a test gets a test.”
