MORE than 40 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed on the Isle of Wight, according to the latest data.

Public Health England figures released today (Monday) show 47 new cases.

This follows yesterday's figure of 48, taking the Isle of Wight total, since the start of the pandemic, to 10,845.

The Island's rolling rate per 100,000 people, in the seven days to September 8, was 331.

Yesterday, in the seven days to September 7, that figure stood at 342.9.

Current numbers of hospital patients with Covid remains high on the Isle of Wight.

The most recently available data showed nine people on ventilation beds and 34 people in total with Covid in St Mary's Hospital, as of Tuesday.

During an Isle of Wight NHS Trust board meeting on Thursday, it was revealed that 20 per cent of the hospital's acute beds across the trust were filled by Covid positive patients.

Children aged 12 to 15 should be offered a first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the UK’s four chief medical officers (CMOs) have said.

The decision takes into account the impact of the pandemic on children’s education as well as the risks to their mental health from missing school.

Islanders aged between 55 and 59 were the largest proportion of those furloughed, as a result of Covid-19.

Thirteen per cent of those on the government jobs retention scheme were in that age bracket, while just eight per cent were aged between 25 and 29.