THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in Shropshire jumped by 589 over the weekend, official figures show.

Public Health England (PHE) figures show that 10,882 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Monday, January 18, in Shropshire, up from 10,293 the same time on Friday.

The health body is now including Pillar Two tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar One tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the government's mass testing programme.

The rate of infection in Shropshire since February now stands at 3,368 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 5,255.

The weekly infection rate in Shropshire for the seven days to January 14 was 423.7 cases per 100,000.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 79,940 over the period, to 3,395,959.

Shropshire's cases were among the 318,014 recorded across the West Midlands, a figure which rose by 13,388 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.