MORE than 200 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed on the Isle of Wight, according to the latest government data.

Public Health England figures released today (Thursday) show 208 new cases.

Yesterday (Wednesday), 254 new cases were recorded.

The latest figure takes the Isle of Wight total, since the start of the pandemic, to 22,036.

The Island's rolling rate per 100,000 people, meanwhile, has fallen.

Always five days behind, in the seven days to December 25, it was 607.9.

Yesterday, in the seven days to December 24, it was 647.2.

The UK rate stands at 1,216.

The latest data shows 22 patients with Covid-19 are currently being treated at St Mary's Hospital ­— three in specialist ventilation beds.

Government data shows the Isle of Wight had recorded 137 cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant by December 23.

The Island's first case was confirmed on December 6, but was not made public until December 16, when a breakdown of local authority data was published.

The time it took for a lab to confirm the variant was one of the reasons for the delay.

Two more patients have died at St Mary's Hospital in Newport, after getting coronavirus, new data has revealed.

Since the start of the pandemic, 208 people have now died at the Isle of Wight's hospital, after contacting Covid-19.