AS health experts battle an outbreak of Covid-19 at a caravan site in Craven Arms there is better news for Ludlow.

At the time of going to press there had been no cases in Ludlow for 10 weeks.

But this is against a picture if increasing infections in the country and Europe that has resulted in a tightening of some travel restrictions.

Andy Boddington, the Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North has been tracking the ups and downs of the virus.

He said that the good news was the lack of cases for more than two months.

"Previously, 31 people had tested positive for Covid-19," he said.

"Sadly, eight died. We do not know whether Covid-19 was the cause of death, a contributory factor, or made no difference to a person’s survival."

But the councillor said that the outbreak in Craven Arms provided a sharp reminder that the epidemic is far from over.

Mr Boddington believes that the recorded number of cases does not provide a full picture

"It is likely that the number of actual Covid-19 cases is understated, especially in the earliest weeks when tests were difficult to obtain," he added.

"Not everyone with Covid-19 will have been tested especially if they showed only mild symptoms."

Mr Boddington said that there is a 'lag effect' with Ludlow and south Shropshire behind areas like the West Midlands.

"There was a small uptick in Shropshire and the West Midlands in the first half of July," Mr Boddington added.

"The next data release will show Shropshire cases increasing due to the ongoing Craven Arms outbreak."

The councillor said that there was a hotspot in Shrewsbury that he believes is a consequence of outbreaks linked to the Shrewsbury Royal Hospital including people working at the hospital and living in the surrounding area.