THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in Shropshire increased by 38 over the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England (PHE) figures show that 2,546 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Tuesday, October 20 in Shropshire, up from 2,508 the same time on Monday.

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 the beginning of the pandemic now stands at 788 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 1,150.

The weekly infection rate as of Monday, October 19 in Shropshire stood at 90.4 per 100,000.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 21,330 over the period, to 762,542.

Shropshire's cases were among the 65,597 recorded across the West Midlands, a figure which rose by 1,775 over the period.

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