Coronavirus: Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has 'unprecedented' number of meetings with chief medical officer

The Tory MP said he has met Chris Witty three times in the last few weeks as the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 rises.

This comes as the government this week published its coronavirus action plan, which involves containing the virus, delaying its spread, researching its origins and cure, and mitigating the impact should the virus become more widespread.

Mr Dunne said: "The growing and pressing threat the coronavirus poses to the UK has led to significant high-level government contingency planning.

"I have been to three briefing meetings with the chief medical officer for England in the past few weeks – unprecedented in my time as your MP.

"The number of new cases is rising, and is likely to continue to rise significantly."

Mr Dunne added that the situation was "particularly concerning" for Shropshire's elderly population.

"For most, the virus will present as only a mild illness from which a speedy and full recovery will be made," he said.

Concerning

"But generally, the coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

"This is particularly concerning for south Shropshire, where almost 30 per cent of people are aged over 65, compared to just 18 per cent nationally.

"If more people need to self-isolate, this not only affects those who think they might have the virus, but also those who work with others – care workers being a key example.

"So we must all do what we can to help stop the virus from spreading. Regular hand hygiene – washing your hands with soap and hot water for the length of time it takes to sing happy birthday twice – and cleaning of frequently touched surfaces will help to reduce the risk of infection."

This comes after claims were made, particularly online, that the disease has already affected areas of the county.

Rumours that Dawley Medical Practice in Telford had closed due to an outbreak proved unfounded.

Shropdoc also published a statement on Monday confirming it had not closed any of its out-of-hours bases due to the disease.