COVID-19 cases have increased in Shropshire over the period from January 21 to January 27 with 2, 993 new cases reported.

It is an increase of 0.9 per cent on the previous week.

In the hospitals, there were six Covid-19 related deaths in local hospitals and 72 beds were occupied by covid-19 patients.

These figures have led Shropshire Council to remind people to take precautions to stay safe, even as the country learns to live with Covid-19.

Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said that while case numbers have stayed the same, more people have been hospitalised.

She said: "Cases have remained stable in this time, but there has been another increase in the number of people being treated for Covid-19 in our local hospitals.

"We continue to see outbreaks in schools and care homes and our public health officers are working closely with these settings to minimise the spread of the virus.

"As we move forward without any legal restrictions except for self-isolation if testing positive, we rely on our residents to help us keep Shropshire safe and protect the NHS.

"After nearly two years, we are now learning how to live alongside this virus as safely as possible, and that does mean being cautious and taking small personal steps to reduce transmission.

"Simple things like wearing a face covering in crowded places and testing for Covid-19 before you mix in large groups, will make a difference."

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, added: "I am encouraged to see so many of you being responsible and doing your part to keep our communities safe.

"The pandemic isn’t over, and as we can see from our local hospitals, people are still getting seriously ill.

"If you have symptoms of Covid-19, it is important to take a PCR test and, by law, self-isolate appropriately.

"I also encourage you all to make the most of Lateral Flow Tests which we have available in Shropshire, free of charge.

"These kits are available in libraries and pharmacies or can be ordered from the Government website.

"Please record your results so the spread of the virus can be monitored."

The seven-day infection rate for Shropshire was 919.7 per 100, 000.

For the West Midlands, it was 1000.8 per 100, 000 and 967.1 for England as a whole.